


From Ashes

by aniwam (animorbid)



Category: Original Work
Genre: Angst, M/M, OC, Romance, Slow Burn, Urban Fantasy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-14
Updated: 2020-09-04
Packaged: 2021-03-03 01:00:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 34,377
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24176275
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/animorbid/pseuds/aniwam
Summary: Birds of a feather flock together, but William is one of a kind.  It isn't until he meets a firebird in the city that he understands what home feels like.
Kudos: 3





	1. Starting Over

**Author's Note:**

> thanks for checking out our little story!!! wam and i have been writing these characters for YEARS. they're very close to our hearts, so we thought we'd properly write out one of the stories that we've cooked up in our heads so we can share them with the world! we hope you love these boys as much as we do <3
> 
> William, William's brothers, Ahyo, and Lucian are all written by Wamulet  
> Stephen, Victor, Rahasai, Arkelles, Avila, and Willow Mae are all written by Animorbid

Until he was eight years old, William shared a room with three brothers. They had only one closet, one toybox, and two beds between them, and one rarely went around the house without another. William’s mother always dressed them in matching clothes, and his father always mixed up their names. Some days he was William, and other days he pretended not to be. Through it all, he was never alone.

He was also not alone when he first had a room to himself, then ten years old. It wasn’t really his room - he didn’t really own anything in it. Everything in it was meant for someone else who wasn’t there. They weren’t there, but they always seemed both near and just out of reach. William moved out in hopes of getting away from them.

The apartment was purchased several weeks ago, but this was only his second day there. His things were brought in yesterday, and the later evening of that day was wasted on restless dreams. William could almost believe he spent the entire night counting marks on the ceiling. His morning wasn’t as pleasant either, with the emptiness of the apartment and its walls taunting him. Everything he owned was still packed in boxes and bins.

His move across the country still seemed surreal, but not because of the distance. William knew California was going to be nothing at all like any place he’d been. He would have never considered the option if it weren’t for the friends that lived there. They’d been more accommodating to him than he thought he deserved. Now twenty and with decades of living ahead of him, William had some growing up to do. 

Before starting to unpack his things, William prepared a late breakfast for himself in the kitchen. The crackle of the stove’s burner coming to life broke the silence of the apartment, and the heat started to wake him up. He was beginning to lean into the warm air over the cooking pan when his phone rang from across the room.

William stepped back from the stove, startled from an aimless reverie. He realized what he heard a moment later, and slowly crossed the kitchen to check his phone. Without looking at the screen, William knew who the message came from. He could count the number of people with his contact information on one hand.

He still had trouble navigating smartphones, but William eventually opened the full message. It was a reminder sent from Victor, a close friend of the family, that he would be coming by around two o’clock. Generously, and not surprisingly so, Victor also asked if he should bring anything with him. With Victor, that usually meant anything from an assortment of homemade baked goods.

Despite numerous assurances that making something was hardly any trouble for him, William rarely accepted Victor’s offers. Victor had done so much for him already, and his own inability to return those favors made William anxious. Instead, he thanked Victor for the reminder - as he typed his reply, he spoke every word under his breath to make sure the message sounded right.

After finishing his breakfast, William stared down the unopened boxes in his living room. He didn’t actually own much, but he used more boxes than he needed to because everything was organized so specifically. Before Victor arrived, he wanted to at least put out the necessities the apartment didn’t already come with. They outnumbered his personal items, and would fill up more vacant space.

A lot of William’s things were actually gifts from his family. When he announced the move, his brothers soon-after took him out for a day of shopping. He returned home with more than he intended to have, and only because his brothers waited to tell him that they would pay for everything.

Despite the uneasy night he had, the memory made him smile. Then, he reminded himself that they weren’t there, and began his unpacking.

Two o’clock came around after William finished furnishing his bedroom. He was opening the first of the bins set aside in his study when the doorbell to the apartment rang. Expecting the announcement this time, William promptly put down what was in his hands to answer it.

William took time just two hours ago to get dressed - the preparation eased his anxiousness, and he smiled more readily at the visitor behind the front door. Victor, who looked deceptively young for the kind of wisdom he had, greeted William with a warm hug and an enthusiastic grin. As expected, he held a small plastic container with a few cookies inside.

“I had already made some for Rhea, so don’t think it was a nuisance,” he justified, all but forcing the gift into William’s hands.

William simply took the container with a small smile, deciding not to argue on that. “Thank you, Victor. They’re appreciated,” he said, letting him in past the door. “I’m glad you could make it over today.”

“I didn’t have anything going on,” Victor said back. He placed his bag next to the couch before putting his hands on his hips. “Where are we starting?”

“Well, I’ve already finished the living room,” William said, heading into the kitchen to set the container down. “I’ve done my bedroom, too, but there are still things that could go around the apartment… and some kitchenware.”

Victor nodded, looking around the room and starting to walk toward the kitchen. “I can set up your kitchen, if you want.”

“That sounds like a good idea,” William agreed, relieved. Victor knew where things should go better than he did. “I’ll get the box.”

Victor began to unpack and sort out the kitchen set and silverware, and William watched from across the room. He opened another box of decor, and they worked in relative silence. William thought about saying something to dispel the awkward quiet, but nothing good came to mind.

“So, how are things between you and Francis?” he eventually asked. Francis, his youngest brother, was a safe topic of interest they shared.

“I’m missing him right now, but I’m happy to spend a few weeks with Jon and Scarlet,” Victor said, smiling to himself. “I miss them often, too. Plus, I get to help you out!” He turned to give William a smile. “Being in an empty apartment’s gotta feel pretty lonely.”

William shrugged, not disagreeing. “It’s different,” he said, “But it’s something I’m sure I’ll get used to, with time. It helps that the city is a good place for work.”

“Getting all of your stuff unpacked should help,” Victor added as he continued to organize the kitchen. “It’ll feel more like a home.”

“I suppose so…” William said, looking at the number of things he still had to put up.

“Plus, I’ve got a little housewarming gift for you,” Victor said. “I’ll give it to you after we’re done.” At that, William turned to Victor with a curious look. He then nodded, biting back the usual response to any gift.

It took the both of them a couple hours to finish furnishing the apartment with what William had left unpacked. There was only his study left to finish, but he told Victor he would handle the workspace himself. Still, he found that Victor was right - he felt better fit in the apartment now that it was outfitted with his belongings.

Victor finished fussing over details in the kitchen finally, before looking over to William. “So, that gift…” He held up a finger, walking over to his bag in the living room. William trailed after him, watching as Victor pulled out an envelope. It was plain and white, with only “ _ Will _ ” written on the back in neat handwriting. He went back over to William, holding out the envelope with a smile that was a bit hard to read.

William took the envelope, looking at Victor curiously as he carefully tore it open. He reached in and pulled out two folded pieces of paper. “What’s this?”

Victor maintained his smile. “Concert tickets.”

Surprised, William quickly unfolded the top sheet. There were a lot of graphics printed on the paper, but two things caught his eye: the band’s name, and a date two months away. “Oh, we’re going to a concert?”

“Nope!” Victor’s smile suddenly became much more mischievous. “You are, though, with a friend!”

William looked back up at Victor, taken aback. “But, Victor… you’re my only friend.”

“First of all, that’s not true,” Victor said back, holding up a finger. “Secondly, that’s kind of the point… kind of. I mean, you’re in a new place, and it’d be nice to make some friends in the area so you have someone to spend time with when I leave.”

“I understand your point,” William said, “But I don’t know if I can manage that in just two months…”

“You don’t have to be best friends by that point, William,” Victor chuckled. “Just find someone who you think is cool and invite them to see a cool band. It’ll be a bonding experience.”

An uneasy feeling passed over William as he stared at the tickets in his hands. “What if I can’t find anyone who will go with me?”

“Then I’ll gladly go with you, William,” Victor said back with a reassuring look. “But as much as I love the band, I’d like for you to not be lonely here.”

William sighed, knowing he had no way around this. “Alright… I’ll try to find someone to invite.”

“I have some friends in the area that I can introduce you to.” Victor gave a playful smile. “Did you think I’d leave you to fend for yourself?”

“Well, I wish you would have started with that,” William muttered.

Victor snickered. “I was messing with you.”

After giving Victor a half-hearted glare, William put the concert tickets away in a side table drawer. The conversation thankfully turned to other things, but Victor’s gift remained on the back of his mind. His only comfort was his own trust in his friend.


	2. Good Fortune

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Don’t worry,” Ahyo reassured William. “I think that you’ll like him. He’s very charming.”  
> William smiled back at Ahyo, only feeling a little bit uncertain. “I’m sure that I will.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> we had to post chapter 2 immediately bc we couldnt wait I WANT YOU TO MEET STEPHEN

Victor held the door open for William, standing aside. Once inside, safe from the unseasonably high temperatures outdoors, Victor started leading William toward one of the tables in the chain cafe. As he approached, he held up a hand to wave, grinning brightly when the couple sitting at that table noticed him.

One of the two waved back. “Hey, Victor! Good to see you.” He turned his dark brown eyes to William, offering a friendly smile. “This should be William, yes?”

“You’re a step ahead of me,” Victor chuckled. He looked back at William, gesturing toward the dark-eyed one first. “This is Rahasai and Ahyo. They’re good friends of mine.”

“It’s nice to meet the both of you.” William smiled timidly, looking between the two of them. He had heard about them through Victor, but meeting them face-to-face was a different story.

“It’s good to meet you, too,” Rahasai responded, holding out a hand to shake William’s. As he returned the gesture, William couldn’t help but notice the numerous rings and bracelets he was wearing.

Rahasai’s companion also wore a significant amount of jewelry, but was dressed more revealingly in comparison. “We heard you just moved here,” Ahyo said, holding out his hand next. “How are you liking the city so far?”

“It’s… different than what I’m used to,” William admitted, taking a seat at the table once he released Ahyo’s hand. “But I think it was a good idea.”

Victor took the last available seat at the table as Rahasai spoke. “My first time in the city was a big change, too, so I understand. You get used to it.”

“I think each one of us here can relate to the experience,” Ahyo remarked, sharing a knowing look with Victor.

“Oh… how long have you both lived here?” William asked.

Rahasai averted his eyes a bit. “Uh… About a year and a half.”

“I’ve lived here about five years,” Ahyo added. “We both know the city rather well now, and we’ve quite a few friends here, including Victor.”

William smiled slightly. “That’s... reassuring to hear.”

“It’s not a big city by any means,” Victor added in.

“Oh, I know,” William said back, pausing to choose his next words carefully. “But it's very unlike any of the... other cities I've been to. Living on my own is also new.”

“It’ll be nice to have your own space to do with as you please,” Victor said.

William nodded, “I do like having a room to work in, but the rest of the space feels like more than I know what to do with.”

Ahyo leaned in with obvious interest. “What kind of work do you do?”

“I do… I suppose you could call it alchemy,” William said. “It's part of why I moved here, actually, since I could get work nearby.”

“Alchemy?” Rahasai tilted his head curiously. “I don’t… know what that is…”

“For me, it's mainly potion and charm crafting,” William explained. “There's other kinds, but I enjoy those the most.”

Victor nodded. “He’s really good at it, too!”

“I’m interested,” Rahasai said, leaning forward a little.

Although William had been nervous at first, Rahasai’s gentle questions and Ahyo’s earnest remarks slowly put him at ease. He began asking more questions of his own, dwelling less and less on his inner insecurities. Even as Ahyo asked him more searching questions in return, Victor’s company at his side kept him from getting unbalanced.

At one point, Ahyo seemed to share a meaningful glance with Rahasai. Then, he said, “You know, if you ever want to see more of the city, Rahasai and I could take you to some of our favorite places. But, I want to ask, would you be comfortable if it were only us?”

“What do you mean?” William asked, unsure if he understood.

“Rahasai and I are a couple, and I understand that some people don’t like… ‘third-wheeling’,” Ahyo explained. He looked at Rahasai again. “We have another friend we could invite - I don’t like leaving people feeling left out.”

“That’s not to say that we would make you feel like a third wheel,” Rahasai quickly added.

William was caught off guard by the question, and he took a moment to consider it. He normally would have waved the concern off, but it resonated too closely with his recent decisions to ignore. It was also something he had brought up, once, to Victor before the move - if he didn’t answer honestly, Victor would bring it up to him later.

“I don’t think you would do that,” William said back. “But… it would be nice, I think, to have another person there.”

“Alright.” Rahasai nodded with a smile. “Whenever we get together, I’ll speak to my friend Stephen to see if he’s able to join us.”

“Don’t worry,” Ahyo reassured William. “I think that you’ll like him. He’s very charming.”

William smiled back at Ahyo, only feeling a little bit uncertain. “I’m sure that I will.”

  
  


Victor’s visit ended later in the week. He left William with reassurances that he’d still be available to talk to, even if not in person, and a subtle reminder about the concert tickets. William had the date marked on a calendar in his bedroom, but even without those reminders it would be omnipresent in his mind. While he lacked the confidence about being able to convince someone to go to the concert with him, the thought of failing to meet Victor’s expectations beat it out.

Still, Ahyo reached out to William first. After meeting them, he exchanged phone numbers with Victor’s friends and promised to keep in contact. He had only gotten as far as sending them a formal greeting, so he was surprised by how quickly the invitation came his way.

They arranged to meet at a nearby park the next day - Ahyo claimed it was one of the quieter parts of the city, and Rahasai helpfully sent him directions. William was relieved, since it would take him away from any likely public scrutiny. However, he still opted to dress up as well as he could in casual wear. He was, after all, meeting someone new without the buffer of Victor’s company.

When he arrived at the park, William immediately began searching for the distinct white of Ahyo’s hair. He found Ahyo and Rahasai sitting at a table under a large gazebo with flowering vines crawling up the posts. They were talking to someone William had yet to meet, whom he assumed to be Stephen. He contrasted their androgynous, somewhat lavish sense of style completely. Stephen was tall with broad shoulders, dressed in a plain tee shirt and jeans that hugged parts of his body in just the right ways. His light brown hair was also in a bit of a mess from the slight spring breeze.

As William approached their table, Ahyo and Rahasai seemed to notice him and waved him over. “Hello, William! Glad to see you found your way here,” Ahyo called out. He patted the open bench space next to him, and said, “Don’t worry, I saved you a seat.”

“Implying it can be taken,” the unfamiliar young man chuckled. He then turned his gaze over to William, holding out a hand with a friendly smile. “William, right? I’m Stephen.”

After taking the space at the table, William returned the smile and reached over to shake Stephen’s hand. “It’s nice to meet you, Stephen.”

Stephen gave it a firm but comfortable shake, before gesturing toward the paper to-go bags set up at an end of the table. “I hope you like Good Times as much as I do, maybe. I kind of insisted.”

William glanced over at the paper packages. He didn’t recognize the logo, so he hesitantly said, “I... don’t think I’ve had it before, actually. What kind of food is it?”

“They’re hamburgers and fries,” Ahyo said, pulling one of the bags over. “I would have messaged you first about what you might’ve wanted, but this was a last minute decision.” He gave Stephen a slightly withering look.

“Oh, no, that’s completely fine,” William reassured quickly, looking back at Stephen. He didn’t want the other to think that he didn’t appreciate the kind gesture. “I _do_ like hamburgers and fries, so I think I’ll like it.”

Stephen winked with a smug look, reaching into one of the bags and handing a burger over to William. “You won’t be disappointed.” He then reached for his own food. “Honestly, I hate when I have to leave the state for anything over a month. I start to miss it.”

“You might as well be addicted,” Rahasai said as he claimed one of the cardboard trays of fries.

The burger looked unassuming, but after taking a bite of it, William had to agree with the sentiment. As he started to eat the rest of it, he quietly watched the others continue to talk over the meal. Ahyo, despite seeming annoyed with him before, told Stephen, “We have to show William everything good around the city, and you know a lot of good places.”

Stephen shrugged, chuckling a bit. “I know some things, sure.” He turned his gaze over to William, a thought coming to mind. “Speaking of which, what’s your schedule like, William?”

“Well… I don't have a lot of other things to do at the moment,” William said. “So it's not very busy...”

Stephen considered that for a moment. “Good to know,” he said with a smile.

“Great! Now that that's settled, let's finish up here and go around,” Ahyo said, picking up a fry. “If I'm having junk food, I need to do a bit of leg work.”

Stephen raised an eyebrow. “What did you have in mind?”

“Just a walk and talk down one of the trails,” Ahyo answered, then looking at William. “Unless you'd like to stay here?”

“I'm fine either way,” William said. “But… I think I’d like to have a look around.”

“One of the trails takes us through one of the older parts of town, pretty close to their place,” Stephen said with a nod in Ahyo and Rahasai’s direction.

“Oh, we should stop by!” Ahyo said, lighting up with excitement. “You haven’t seen Rahasai's shop yet, but I think you would like it, William. He uses lots of interesting things for his work.”

“Interesting things?” William repeated, looking between the other three for clarification.

Rahasai averted his eyes, smiling shyly. “Um, well… I have a way of… uh… seeing people's fates, and things like that."

“You mean like divination?”

“Yes, divination,” Rahasai said with a nod. “That’s what I do.”

“Oh…” William looked at Rahasai with open interest. “How does it work? Do you perform some sort of spell or ceremony? Do you use some sort of tools?”

Rahasai smiled. “I sort of use tools. I can show you when we get there.”

William nodded, folding his hands into his lap and squeezing his fingertips, trying to reign in his obvious interest. “I look forward to it.”

Rahasai’s shop was warm compared to the cool breeze outside. The lamps that lit up the room beneath their shades cast a soft amber glow over their surroundings. Rahasai guided everyone in and led them to the coffee table with a couch and an armchair nearby.

The group took seats around the table, Rahasai taking his place in the arm chair. William sat at one end, and Stephen settled into the middle, leaning back and resting his arms along the back of the couch on either side of him. William looked around the room curiously, attention caught on the nearby shelves full of opaque jars. Noticing his inattention, Ahyo spoke up and said, “Rahasai sometimes uses those for his work.”

Rahasai nodded, giving a proud smile. “My mentor taught me this form of divination.”

“It’s pretty cool,” Stephen put in. “It’s pretty much always spot-on.”

“How does it work?” William asked.

“Would you like me to show you?” Rahasai asked back.

“If that’s alright. I’m always interested in learning about different kinds of magic.”

Rahasai stood up, gesturing for William to follow him to a table and chairs sitting next to the bookshelves full of jars. William followed him, taking the opportunity to give the containers a closer look. None of them were labelled or seemed to be in any order, and William almost cringed from the lack of organization.

Rahasai sat down at the table, tapping it absentmindedly. “Do you have any questions to ask?”

William redirected his attention to Rahasai. “Oh… I didn’t think of anything… What do people usually ask?”

“Well, what’s been bothering you lately? Maybe I can offer some insight.”

William nervously glanced back at the other side of the room where Ahyo and Stephen were still seated, talking to each other. “I don’t know. I suppose I’m just having trouble adjusting to a new city.”

“Hm… Alright.” Rahasai waved toward the bookshelves. “Grab a couple of jars. Any that pique your interest.”

“Oh… alright.” William stood up, looking at the shelves with uncertainty. Other than being painted in mismatched colors, there was nothing specific about the jars that stood apart. After a long moment of indecision, he simply picked out a dark blue jar and a purple jar and brought them back to the table.

Rahasai then gestured to the table. “Place one on the left, and one on the right.” William raised a brow at Rahasai, and then set the jars out in the order he retrieved them.

After William sat down, Rahasai put a hand on the blue jar. “This one represents what will come of your move to this city. Something inevitable.” He then placed a hand on the purple jar. “This one represents something that you _can_ have, if you make the right choice.”

“...Alright,” William said, understanding.

Rahasai opened up the blue jar and took a peek inside. He immediately tensed, sporting a nervous smile. Snickering quietly, he looked over at Stephen and Ahyo. “Hey, can you guys go to the back?”

Stephen looked up, pausing his conversation. “Oh, sure. You guys want privacy, huh?” He stood up. 

Ahyo gave both Rahasai and William a questioning look, lingering on the former, but followed suit. “Just let us know when you’re done up here,” he said as he and Stephen made their way to the back door.

As the two began to disappear from sight, William concernedly asked Rahasai, “Um… did I pick something odd?”

“Not odd, but…” Rahasai leaned in close, making sure the door to the back was closed. “Something that will happen soon is about, uh… a sexual encounter.”

William blinked, taken aback. Immediately, he could feel his face flush in embarrassment. “...I-I’m sorry?”

Rahasai couldn’t hold back his second-hand embarrassment, flushing as well. He pulled out a small handful of candy from the jar. “Candy is representative of sex. Sexual prowess, sexual encounters, sexual satisfaction. Those sorts of things.”

“Um, okay, I get it,” William quickly said back, squeezing his eyes shut in mortification. “Can we, um, move on to the other jar please?”

“Yeah, of course,” Rahasai said, nodding his head. “Okay, um…” He took in a breath, opening the purple jar and looking inside. Smiling, he pulled out a few glass marbles. “This is pretty good news.”

“What do those mean?” William asked, eager to move on.

“The struggles you’ve been through will finally pay off,” Rahasai explained. “You’re going to find something rewarding and beautiful, if you follow the right path.”

“I see…” William paused, and then said, “Can you… not mention this to anyone?”

“Don’t worry about that,” Rahasai reassured. “I don’t tell anyone what’s been said here.”

“Thank you,” William said, sighing in relief.


	3. A Night Out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stephen looked up from his phone, giving a smile. “Hey, Will. C’mon, my friend’s got the back door open for us. They’re opening the front doors soon.”  
> William nodded, wringing his hands together. "Right, you mentioned that. Sorry, I should've been a bit earlier."  
> “Hey, no worries,” Stephen said back, standing next to William and putting a hand on his shoulder to guide him toward the back door. “We can still get the best seats in the house.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> you would not BELIEVE how hard it is for me to wait an entire week before posting the next chapter. i just want the whole story to be out there for the world to see already!!  
> anyways, have their first absolutely-not-a date!

Despite Victor’s time limit looming over his head, William couldn’t make himself go out for several days after Rahasai’s reading. He had tried to get his mind off of it by questioning Rahasai about the intricacies of his method, but once he was alone with his thoughts it plagued him. Eventually, after failing to even get his own work done, he called Victor in hopes of learning whether or not Rahasai’s predictions were truly ‘inevitable’.

Victor answered with a cheerful greeting. “Hi, William! How’re you doing?”

“Um…” William looked at his work desk, which was covered in mostly unfinished charms. “I’m alright. I hope I didn’t call at a bad time.”

“Oh, not at all. I was just reading,” Victor reassured. “What’s up?”

“I was just curious about something,” William said, trying to sound aloof. “Have you… gotten a reading from Rahasai before?”

“Oh, of course. Why do you ask? Did you get a reading from him?”

“Yes, I was curious about how it compared to fae divination,” he explained hurriedly. “But, um, I wanted your opinion about how… accurate it can be.”

“Well, fae divination relies on magic. Rahasai’s work relies on his connection to the stars.” He paused in thought for a moment. “Now that I think about it, I don’t think Rahasai’s ever been wrong!”

William held back a groan, instead replying, “Oh, that’s… really fascinating.”

“Oh, now I’m worried… Did you get bad news?”

“No, no, it was just… interesting. I was just curious, really.”

“Hm… Do you want to discuss it or would you rather I leave you alone?”

“It’s nothing we need to discuss,” William assured, already feeling embarrassed at the prospect. “Um, I should get back to work. I’ll let you get back to reading.”

“Alright, Will. Take care, okay?”

“You too, Victor.” William ended the call, and resigned himself to another few days of feeling awkward.

Later that night, William’s phone buzzed with a notification. He turned down the volume on the television, automatically expecting that Victor decided to call him to probe for answers. When he saw a text from an unknown number, the slowly growing reluctance gave way to confusion.

**S:** hey, this is stephen. we met tuesday. i hope you dont mind i got your number from ahyo

Although he had been avoiding contact, it was mostly due to an inability to meet with Rahasai without the reading coming back to mind. He didn’t know Stephen very well, but talking over text was easier than talking to someone in person. He did also wonder why Stephen was interested in talking to him.

**W:** No that’s ok. How are you?

**S:** im pretty good :) i hope youre doing well too

**W:** Yes I am

**W:** Was there something you wanted to ask me?

**S:** yep, there is actually

**S:** i was wondering if you’re free on saturday

William considered. He had no plans, and it would give him another couple days to move past his social anxieties.

**W:** I am. Did you have something in mind?

**S:** yeah, there’s gonna be a band playing at a bar not too far from my place if you’re interested

**S:** i’m friends with the drummer, so he’ll let us in early so we can get good seats

The mention of a band reminded William of the soon-approaching deadline. He tried not to think about it, and instead about how he'd been wanting to hear more kinds of different music. He just hoped Stephen's tastes weren't too far removed from his.

**W:** That sounds nice.

**W:** What is the bar called?

**S:** hepcat’s

**S:** i’ll even buy you a drink or two if you decide to join me

**W:** Should I know what a hepcat is?

William had been told that he could come off as snarky over text. He thought maybe this was one of those times, so he tacked on another response.

**W:** As long as you don't make fun of my choice in drink.

**S:** don’t worry, i have no place to judge. what kinds of drinks do you like?

**W:** I usually ask for something sweet, or minty.

**W:** But I don't go out to bars a lot. What about you?

**S:** i’ll drink just about anything. depends on my mood mostly

**S:** right now i’m reeeeeally in the mood for some hard cider

**W:** Is there a drink you haven't tried?

**S:** hmmmm…. don’t think so

**W:** I don't think I've tried hard cider before

**S:** maybe they’ll have some at the bar ;)

William was sure now that Stephen wanted to meet him again. He wasn't sure what he might've done to inspire that attitude, but he took it as a good sign.

**W** : I suppose I have to go and find out

**W:** I'll see you on Saturday :)

**S:** meet me there at 7 then B)

William ended the conversation there with a sense of satisfaction and relief. Maybe it was time for him to be a bit more optimistic.

  
  


When William arrived at the bar, there was already a growing line outside of it. The neon lights on the outside lit up the people standing beneath them. The bright colors reflected in the puddles on the sidewalk and the street, leftover from the day’s earlier rain. Standing just outside of the alley next to the building, Stephen was entertaining himself with his phone, carrying a backpack on one shoulder. He shifted his weight to one side, pushing his jacket aside to tuck his hand into his pocket. William wondered if he was the only one Stephen invited, but decided against commenting on it. Instead he approached, trying to not seem too intimidated by the noise heard through the doors of the bar.

"Hello Stephen," he said, faux casually.

Stephen looked up from his phone, giving a smile. “Hey, Will. C’mon, my friend’s got the back door open for us. They’re opening the front doors soon.”

William nodded, wringing his hands together. "Right, you mentioned that. Sorry, I should've been a bit earlier."

“Hey, no worries,” Stephen said back, standing next to William and putting a hand on his shoulder to guide him toward the back door. “We can still get the best seats in the house.”

Although a bit unsure, William followed his lead. "I never did ask, what sort of music does your friend play?"

“They’re like a pop-punk kind of band,” Stephen answered, walking them past the band’s van to the door. William nodded, vaguely familiar with the genre. Stephen opened the door and let William in ahead of him, before following him in and raising a hand in greeting when he spotted his friend setting up on the stage.

“Hey, Stephen,” the drummer said, hopping off of the stage and walking over to them. “Is this that plus-one you were talking about?”

“You got it.” Stephen put his hand back on William’s shoulder. “This is William. Will, this is Ramone.”

Ramone held out a hand. “Great to meet you, Will. You ever been here before?”

William politely reached out to shake Ramone's hand. "It's nice to meet you, too. And no, this is my first time actually."

“I hope you have a great time, then,” Ramone said back. He glanced toward Stephen, raising an eyebrow with a small smile, then went back up onto the stage.

Behind William, Stephen chuckled and rolled his eyes, before starting to lead William toward a table near the stage. “Anyways, to our seats.” The table wasn’t too close to any of the speakers and a short walk away from the bar. When they got there, Stephen pulled out a barstool and gestured for William to sit down with a smile.

William shyly smiled back and took the seat, saying, "Thank you." As Stephen took his own place and dropped his backpack under the table, William looked around, taking in the interior of the bar.

The large room was dimly lit by the lights hanging down from the high ceiling. Round tables with barstools around them were scattered throughout the room, and a row of seating ran along the perimeter. To the side of the low stage, the bartender was polishing glasses with a small towel at the bar. The front doors stood open, letting the music playing from the speakers flood the street outside. The only things standing between the venue and the waiting line were the bouncers.

After a few moments, William decided to broach the subject. "So, were Ahyo and Rahasai busy tonight?"

“Not sure,” Stephen said with a shrug, leaning an arm on the table. “I didn’t ask.”

"Oh," William said, surprised. "Well… thank you, for inviting me."

Stephen smiled. “Trust me, the pleasure is mine.” William blushed, unsure of how to respond to that.

The room started to fill up with people after the bouncers let everyone in. Stephen glanced around, before standing up from his seat. “Hey, save my seat. I’m gonna get us some drinks. What would you like?”

William thought for a moment, trying to recall the drinks he did like. "I don't know…" he eventually said. "Well, how about you surprise me..?"

Stephen chuckled. “You’re giving me a lot of power here.” He walked off toward the bar, glancing back for a moment before ordering. William didn't see the harm - his brothers had already tested him with some rather potent drinks at this point. When Stephen returned, he had a glass in each hand. He sat down and placed one in front of William. “Blackberry gin and tonic. Try it.”

"Alright," William said easily, lifting the glass to his lips. It was a mostly sweet drink, which he liked, but not overbearingly so. "This is good! Thank you."

“I knew you would like it,” Stephen said, hiding his smirk behind his glass of whiskey.

"I did tell you what kind of drinks I usually like," William pointed out.

“You got me there.” Stephen leaned his elbow on the table, swirling his glass in his other hand. “What other sorts of things do you like?”

William shrugged, looking down at his glass. "Oh, well, I can't think of anything particularly specific off the top of my head. I like a lot of things - I'm sure you do, too."

Stephen nodded his head. “Alright, fair. How about music? You never did tell me if you like this band’s kind of music or not.”

"I haven't listened to a lot of pop punk, actually," William said. "I've only started listening to different genres recently, and they've been whatever my brothers recommend…"

“You have brothers, huh?” Stephen gave an interested smile. “Are they as nice as you?”

"That depends entirely on who you ask," William said with a chuckle. Then, it slipped into a fond smile. "But, they are… nice."

“Just nice?” Stephen rose an eyebrow. “There’s gotta be more to them than that.”

"Well, of course, but I can't really quantify them very easily when they're three very different people," William said exasperatedly.

“Okay, then let’s start with the oldest. I get the feeling you’re not the oldest.”

"What makes you say that?" William questioned, curiously. "But, you're right, I'm technically the second oldest. My brother, Abraham, is the 'oldest'."

Stephen smirked. “Lucky guess. What’s Abraham like?”

William paused, considering. "People tend to assume he's… a jerk. But he's really sweet, and we have the most in common."

“Funny, people say the same about me,” Stephen said with a laugh. 

William laughed along, shaking his head. "If he was more outgoing, maybe you might be more similar. But I don't think you're a jerk… yet."

“Oh, you wouldn’t believe,” Stephen said back. “Quite a few people think I’m just a superficial flirt.”

"What would you call yourself, then?" William asked, genuinely curious.

“Well, that’s definitely not an easy question,” Stephen chuckled. He rested his chin on his hand, looking off thoughtfully. “Hm… I guess I would say I’m a guy that loves good company.”

William masked a smile behind another sip of his drink. “That’s a little… how do you call it? Corny?”

Stephen laughed. “Hey, what can I say? Sometimes I’m a little stereotypical.”

“I didn’t understand before, but I can somewhat see why Ahyo told me you were a ‘dork’.”

“Ahyo called me a dork?” Stephen questioned, before pulling his phone out of his jacket pocket. “That kid’s gonna get sniped next time I see him.”

“Well, doesn’t that just mean that he likes you?” William asked.

“Oh, don’t worry, I’m just gonna give him a hard time,” Stephen said back, typing on his phone. A few seconds later, he put his phone back into his pocket. “Okay, you now have my complete, undivided attention.”

William smiled nervously. “Um, thank you?”

“We can talk about whatever you want. Have you been super into something recently? Like, I’ve been  _ crazy _ into video essays lately.”

“Oh, I’m not sure…” he said, hesitantly. The only thing he could think of that technically qualified was work, but it didn’t seem like something Stephen would be interested in. “What’s a video essay?” he asked instead, deflecting.

“It’s like… an essay, but in video format,” Stephen said, chuckling a bit. “I’m not sure how to describe it.”

"Maybe you could send me some sometime," William offered.

“Well, I’ll need a few of your interests so I know which ones to send you,” Stephen said back.

"Well… I'm still figuring that out," William said quietly. "I don't think there would be videos about anything from the Fae realm."

Stephen looked thoughtful for a moment, before he covered it up with a smile. “How about we hang out at my place after this and I can show you some of my favorite stuff. Maybe you’ll find something you’ll like.”

William hesitated. He hadn't gone to someone else's home before, and he wasn't sure how comfortable he would be. "Well… how long will your friend's band be playing? It might be a bit late…"

Stephen shrugged. “The band’ll be playing for a few hours. We don’t have to stay the whole time.”

Instinctively, William wanted to use an excuse to say no. But he knew he would never get over his inhibitions if he kept avoiding new situations. "...Alright then," he said eventually. "If that's okay."

“Of course it’s okay. I invited you.” Stephen sipped from his whiskey, glancing down at William’s fidgety hands.

A short silence fell over the table, but William was saved from feeling awkward about it by the band finally calling attention to the stage. He could only half-listen as they introduced themselves, however, daunted about having to approach another one-on-one conversation with Stephen in the future. Here, in the bar, there was enough going on that he could afford to be quiet. Especially as the music picked up, loud and drawing the attention of all the tables. In fact, it eventually got to him, drawing him away from his thoughts as he tried to parse the lyrics from the vocalist.

A few drinks and many songs later, Stephen leaned over the table so William could hear him. “Hey, do you wanna get out of here?” He had the scent of whiskey on his breath.

William turned to him distractedly, a moment passing before he deciphered Stephen's words past the music. "...Yeah, we can go," he answered during a lull in the noise. While his blood kept him from getting drunk, the constant stream of drinks did loosen his nerves slightly.

Stephen stood up, nodding toward the door. “Let’s head out, then.”

They carefully maneuvered away from the table and through the rest of the bar. Their unoccupied seats were immediately taken by other patrons.

Once they were outside, Stephen looked toward William, tucking his hands into his jacket pockets. “Do you still wanna come to my place?”

William took a deep breath of the cool night air, relaxed, and nodded. "Um, yeah. You mentioned it wasn't very far from here, right?"

“Yeah, it’s just a couple blocks away,” Stephen replied. “Do you wanna ride with me?”

"...Yes," William answered, unsure why he would do otherwise.

“Alright, cool. I’m parked over here.” Stephen started walking them back toward the alley. William followed, only realizing the implication of what Stephen said a moment afterward.

"Wait," he started, looking at Stephen with uncertainty. He didn't appear to be drunk, but William had seen him order a fair amount of whiskey during the night. "Um, should you really be driving? I can't drive, either..."

“Oh, me?” Stephen waved his hand. “Oh, psh, I’m fine. My blood can take it,” he said, patting his chest. He brought them behind the band’s van. “You know, being a firebird and all,” he added quietly toward William. Parked next to the wall was a sleek black motorcycle.

"... I have a second concern now," William said after a moment of taking it in.

Stephen looked back at William. “Yeah?”

"I've never ridden a motorcycle… I'm pretty sure I'll fall off…"

“Trust me, if you just hold on, you won’t fall,” Stephen reassured. “I mean, if you’re really not comfortable with it, we can walk. It’s only a couple blocks.”

William paused, seriously considering the offer. But then he felt a cold drop on his head, and soon after another. They both looked up, and saw dark clouds around the light of the moon. "Um, you said a couple blocks?" he clarified, shivering under his light sweater. "Then… I think I can handle a quick ride."

Stephen watched William quietly for a moment, before shedding his jacket and holding it out toward the other. “Here. The ride’ll be pretty windy.”

William looked back at Stephen, and after a moment, smiled gratefully. "Thank you," he said, looking away slightly as he took it to hide his flush. "You won't be cold…?"

“I’ll be fine,” Stephen said with a shrug. He opened up his backpack and pulled out a helmet, before handing it to William after he put on the jacket. Stephen looked William over with a small smile. “Looks good on you.”

William looked down at himself, adjusting the jacket over his shoulders. It seemed just slightly too big for his frame, but it  _ was _ comfortable. He took the helmet from Stephen, and decidedly put it on. "Well… do I look  _ cool _ ?"

Stephen chuckled, his eyes lingering. “Yes, you look very  _ cool _ .”

Suddenly embarrassed by the continued attention, William cleared his throat and indicated the motorcycle. "So, um… let's go?"

“Of course.” Stephen got onto the motorcycle, before patting the space behind him. 

William sat down as told, but wasn't quite sure how he should hold onto the other. "Should I just… hug you?" he asked, hesitant of his wording.

“You can do that,” Stephen said, glancing back to smile at him as he started up his bike.

William scrutinized Stephen's expression, but didn't see a hint that the other might've been uncomfortable. "...Alright," he said, settled, before slowly wrapping his arms around Stephen's torso.

“Ready?” Stephen said over the purr of the engine.

"Yeah, I think so," William replied.

“Hold on tight, then.” With that, Stephen set off, driving down the alley onto the street.

He didn’t go too fast, taking things pretty easily on the mostly-empty nighttime streets. Despite that, William did hold onto Stephen tightly, caught off guard by the open air rushing past. Like the other had said, though, keeping himself pressed against Stephen kept the fear of falling off at bay. After managing the first turn off the street, he could even reconcile the sensation with an evening flight. Although, those were usually alone, and he was all too aware of Stephen's warm body pressed flush against his.

It wasn’t too long before Stephen pulled into a spot near an apartment complex. After shutting off the engine, Stephen let William get off first and followed close behind. William took a moment to take the helmet off and offer it back to the other. Silently, Stephen led William through the complex. William was grateful for the short reprieve, suddenly torn between the reminder of his nervousness and a strange desire that the ride had been longer.

Stephen walked up to a door and pulled out his keys to unlock it. Before opening the door, Stephen glanced back at William. “Home sweet home.”

William, being as curious as he tended to be anxious, questioningly peered into Stephen's apartment. Stephen led William in, walking over to the black couch to set his backpack and the helmet on the floor next to it. Most of the walls were filled with framed band and movie posters. On the other side of the coffee table, the TV on the wall had bookshelves of movies and CD’s on both sides. Next to a bookshelf was a small table with a record player on it and a wooden box full of records. The kitchen was separated from the living room by a bar counter, and the dining room had a table surrounded by a couple of benches and chairs.

William slipped Stephen's jacket off of his shoulders as he followed the other in. His gaze lingered on the posters and the shelves, referencing different titles he wasn't very familiar with. He wasn't exactly sure what sort of place he expected Stephen to live in, but the obvious placement of his interests made him smile. "You must really enjoy music," he noted lightly, placing the jacket over the back of the couch.

Stephen laughed for a second, holding up a finger. “Hold that thought.” He turned that finger toward his shirt, which was dark with water on his shoulders. “Gimme, like, forty-five seconds.” He hurried off to his room, kicking off his boots and grabbing them on the way there.

Confused, but not going to question it, William simply watched as Stephen disappeared from sight. After another long look at Stephen's collection, particularly the records, he sat down on one end of the couch. Stephen soon came back in, still pulling his new dry shirt down over his torso.

William looked over as he came back, and immediately caught a glimpse of the other's midriff. It was brief and accidental, but the fact that his gaze lingered for even a moment made him flustered. He tried to catch Stephen's eyes instead. "Um, better?"

“Much better,” Stephen said with a nod. He sat down on the couch as well, leaning against the arm of it. “So, you were asking about music?”

"...Oh, right," William recalled. "You have a very… extensive collection. You must have a lot of favorites."

“Oh, yeah, I’ve collected a lot over the years. All of my absolute favorites are on the middle shelves,” Stephen said, gesturing toward the bookshelves.

"The movies, too?" William asked. "You have a lot of those, too."

“Yup,” Stephen replied with a smile. “Middle shelf of the movies are my favorites, and middle shelf of the CDs are my favorites.” He pointed at each respectively.

William took a closer look at the middle shelves, and immediately perked up at one series of titles. "Oh, Star Wars! I never did get to see any of the sequels…"

“Oh, man, what’s the last one you’ve seen?” Stephen asked, sitting up in his seat.

Abashed, William answered, "The original, when I was eight…"

Stephen’s eyes widened. “Well, I guess we’re gonna have to start catching you up  _ now _ .” He stood up and walked over to the bookshelf, pulling a stack of DVDs off of the shelf. He set them down on the coffee table. “We can watch one or two tonight if you want, and you can borrow the rest to finish at home.”

"Really?" William smiled excitedly. He couldn't remember everything about the first movie, but he had fondly attached memories of watching it with his brothers. "That would be really great, thank you!"

“Of course.” Stephen quietly watched William’s excitement as he looked over the movies’ cases. “I hope you like them. I personally like the new ones, though a lot of people disagree with me. Except for the last one. That one’s pretty bad.”

William tilted his head a bit. "Really? Well, if its Star Wars, I think I'd like them regardless."

“I hope so,” Stephen chuckled. He opened up one of the cases. “You wanna get started?”

"Yes, please," William replied with an earnest nod, folding his hands into his lap. "Um, you might need to remind me what's going on, it's been a long time for me."

“Don’t worry, we’re starting from the beginning,” Stephen reassured, putting the disc in the player. “And by that I mean they made prequels, so there are three movies to watch before we even get to the one you’ve seen.”

"Really?" William questioned, looking at the full stack of movies again. "Wow, um… okay. I have a lot to catch up on…"

“Don’t worry, we can get you caught up slowly,” Stephen chuckled. He grabbed the remote off of the coffee table and sat on the couch, before starting to skip through the previews. “And you can always borrow from my collection. Just give them back eventually, please.” He finished his remark with a playful smile in William’s direction.

William nodded, smiling back and thinking of the numerous other recommendations he had yet to watch. "I'll try to remember that."

Stephen started the movie and settled into a comfortable position on the couch, leaning against the arm and stretching his arm along the back. William stayed as he was, sitting up and barely leaning back against the couch. He tried to focus on the movie, intently watching the first scenes.

It became apparent pretty soon that Stephen liked to comment and make jokes during movies, sharing small details that William might have missed. Sometimes, he said something that William didn't quite understand, but he didn't mind elaborating. At first, William was self-conscious about it, but Stephen's demeanor eventually urged him to ask whatever came to mind. The movie seemed to fly by quickly, but by the end, it was already around eleven.

As Stephen put the DVD back in its case, William checked his phone and said, "It's late… I should probably get going."

Stephen turned around, snapping the case closed. “Oh, yeah. I forgot how late it is…” He set the movie down on the coffee table. “Are you gonna need a ride home?”

William picked up the stack of movies from the coffee table. "Well, yes… but I can call a ride. You don't need to go out of your way or anything…"

“Nah, lifts are pretty pricey,” Stephen said with a wave of his hand. “I can take you on the bike, if you don’t mind the cold. You can borrow my jacket again.”

William bit his lip, but he did feel excited at the prospect of another ride. "...Alright. But I'll need a bag to hold these in," he said, slightly lifting up the DVD cases.

Stephen picked up the helmet and the backpack, before handing William the backpack. “Here, put ‘em in this.”

"Thank you." William opened the pack and carefully deposited the cases inside. He paused before putting the backpack on after taking a moment to put on Stephen's jacket again.

After running into his room to grab another jacket to put on himself, Stephen placed the helmet on top of William’s head, giving it a pat. “Alright, all set.” After making sure he had his phone, wallet, and keys, Stephen led William out the door.

Stephen got on the motorcycle and again pat the back while smiling at William. William didn't hesitate so much the second time, getting on behind Stephen and wrapping his arms around him.

Stephen glanced behind him. “So, where do you live?”

"Well, I live close to Park Avenue and Second Street... I can point it out when we get there."

“Sweet.” Stephen started up the engine and started driving, decidedly avoiding taking the freeway.

It was a longer drive back to his own apartment. William was prepared this time for the sensation of wind around them, giving him more room for thought. Realizing that he would soon be back under his own roof suddenly left him tired and drained. In hindsight, he was surprised that he lasted so long outside of his comfort zone.

Absent-mindedly, he tightened his hold around Stephen as he worked through the events of the day. He always found himself rerunning through his previous interactions, nitpicking other's expressions or responses. He belatedly realized why he had managed to hold out, why the exhaustion was only hitting him now. He didn't notice it before, but he didn't recall a moment where Stephen hadn't been… encouraging. The other hadn't once pushed him past his own established limits, and William wondered if it was intentional or just natural for him.

While William was lost in thought, Stephen slowed down in the empty street so he could speak over the engine. “So, where are we going?”

William snapped out of his thoughts. "Oh! Right, sorry," he muttered, looking up at the street. "Just turn right ahead… it'll be a blue apartment building."

Stephen followed William’s directions and quickly found the right building. He parked in the lot and they both got off of the bike. "Thank you for the ride," William said, taking off the helmet to hand back to Stephen. He lingered on the jacket and backpack he was still wearing. "Oh… I'll have to get the other things back to you once I take the movies up."”

“Oh, yeah, I can wait here if you want,” Stephen said.

William thought about his sparsely decorated apartment, but knew Stephen was aware that he only moved recently. "No, that's okay, you can come and warm up before you leave," he replied, gesturing for Stephen to follow him to the front entrance..

“Oh.” Stephen smiled, following William’s lead. “Thanks. ‘Preciate it.”

William entered the building code and let himself and Stephen into the first floor lobby. They took the elevator to the top floor, and William led Stephen through the hallway to the front door of his apartment. "Here we are," he said, shrugging before getting his key out. "Um, I can get you a quick drink before you leave, if you want."

“Nah, I’ll be alright,” Stephen said back, leaning his shoulder against the wall next to the door with his hands tucked into his pockets. “I just wanted to see you off before I head home. I think I’ve bothered you long enough.”

“Well… okay, if you’re sure.” William unlocked the front door, letting himself into the apartment. He quickly unpacked the DVDs from the backpack, setting the pile down onto his own living room table to deal with later. He then took off Stephen's jacket and folded it up neatly to put into the now-empty backpack. When he popped back into the hallway with Stephen, he handed it back over to him. "There you go. Thanks again, for inviting me out tonight, Stephen."

Stephen hung the strap of the backpack over his shoulder, smiling warmly. “Thanks for coming. I had a really great time hanging out with you.”

William smiled bashfully. “I did, too… Goodnight, and get home safe.”

“Yeah…” Stephen was quiet for a few seconds, before standing up straight. “Goodnight, Will.” With that, Stephen turned around to go back to the elevator. William watched as he headed down the hall, before retreating into the familiarity of his apartment.


	4. Gone, and Back Again

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “My sister was also a really great actress. She loved musicals a lot.”  
> “I didn’t know you had a sister,” William noted, surprised. “What kind of shows did she do?”  
> Stephen looked up in thought. “Oh, a lot. I don’t remember too much about them anymore, but I do remember she did Shakespeare a couple times and a lot of musicals. They were usually the really cheery ones.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> almost forgot to post the chapter on time!!!! AAAAAAAAAA!!!!

Victor sported his usual cheery voice when he answered William’s call. “Will! Hi! How are things going with you over in California?”

“Hey Victor,” William greeted in return, sounding just as optimistic. After getting a full night’s rest to himself following his day out, he felt surprisingly full of energy. He ended up spending the morning watching another one of the movies Stephen had lent him as he worked on his charms. “Things are going really well, actually.”

“Oh?” Victor sounded immediately interested. “Has anything happened or are you just generally having a good time?”

“I… went out with a new friend yesterday,” William answered, smiling to himself. “You might know him, actually. His name is Stephen?”

“Oh, Stephen! Yeah, I’ve met him. He hangs around Ahyo and Rahasai a lot,” Victor recalled. “You sound like you had fun.”

William twiddled the strands of one bracelet charm between his fingers. “I did, actually. We went out to listen to music, and he let me borrow some movies to watch.”

“Is he as nice as I remember him? I haven’t seen him in a while.”

“...Yes, he was,” William said thoughtfully. “He’s a very… friendly person.”

Victor chuckled. “You sound hesitant.”

“I was nervous about meeting up with him, since I only talked to him once before,” William admitted. “I wasn’t sure what to expect.”

“Well, do you like him now that you’ve spent more time with him than one meeting?”

“...Yeah,” William answered. “I think I’ll try to see him again.”

“That’s great! I hope it goes well for you, Will.”

Smiling more broadly to himself, William said back, “I hope so, too.”

William saw a reasonable opportunity to contact Stephen again a few days later. He had finished the entire collection of movies, and knowing Stephen also liked them made them a good conversation starter. Still wary about holding a conversation over the phone with him, he settled for sending him a text.

A few minutes went by. Then a few hours. Then a full week went by, and William still never received a response. He found himself questioning their last interaction over and over again, wondering if there was a signal or an expression he had missed. He had thought things went and ended well, but now couldn’t help but think that he was the only one who felt that way. It made him so unsure that he even questioned his sparse communications with Ahyo and Rahasai. He saw more of the apartment that week than anything else.

Another day later, William’s phone buzzed with a new text from Rahasai. He grabbed it off the arm of the couch, where he had been sitting under a comforter and idly watching television.

 **R:** Ahyo and I were wondering if you’d like to meet up for a late lunch in an hour or two

William didn’t answer immediately. It took him a few moments to muster up the energy to deal with a text conversation. But he was admittingly tired of sitting on the same troubling thoughts, and didn’t think Rahasai and Ahyo would be contacting him again if they weren’t being genuine.

 **W:** Sure, that sounds good. Where should I meet you?

 **R:** We’ll be at Genevieve's in old town

 **W:** Ok. I can meet you there in an hour.

After getting ready, William ordered a ride into town to meet the two for lunch. He wasn’t particularly hungry, but he hoped that meeting the two could get his mind out of its endless loop. On the drive over, he even realized it gave him an opportunity to probe for an explanation.

By the time he got there, Ahyo and Rahasai were already sitting at a table inside. He joined them at their table, taking the open seat next to Rahasai. “Hello, you two.”

“Hi, Will,” Rahasai greeted, giving a bright smile. “How’re you doing?”

“I’m doing good, thank you,” William said back, looking between the two of them. “Thanks for inviting me, I hadn’t had lunch yet.”

“It’s no problem,” Ahyo waved off. “It’s been a while since we last talked, and this is a really nice place to eat.”

“Yeah, we’ve missed you,” Rahasai said. “I hope you’ve been doing well.”

William nodded, lightly fidgeting with the woven bracelets around his wrist. “I’ve been doing pretty well, actually. Just getting ready to start working again.” He paused, and then tried to add nonchalantly, “So, is it just the three of us today..?”

Rahasai nodded. “Yeah, why do you ask?”

Shrugging, William said, “Well, um, I just thought you would have invited Stephen, like last time.”

“Oh, we might have,” Ahyo said, before exaggeratedly sighing. “Unfortunately, his job’s called him away, so we won’t be seeing him for a while.”

“Yeah, he’s usually gone for at least a month,” Rahasai added.

“Oh… really?” William wondered if Stephen had even seen his text at all. “Well… that’s too bad, then.”

Rahasai smiled a bit. “Don’t worry, you shouldn’t have to miss him for too long.”

Ahyo seemed to scrutinize William for a moment before smiling at him playfully. “I’m sure he misses you, too,” he said with a wink, making William embarrassed.

True to Rahasai’s word, a month went by before he heard from Stephen again. He continued to meet up with Ahyo and Rahasai periodically during that time, learning a bit more about the city. His business had finally started up, but it was still new and budding, leaving him with ample free time to explore the town on his own. He managed to work past most of his self-doubts, but they weren’t something that would ever completely go away. The worst of them did subside when Stephen’s response finally came.

 **S:** damn sorry i missed your text i promise i wasnt ghosting you :( did ahyo tell you where i was

William suddenly felt terrible for misjudging Stephen’s silence, and quickly responded back.

 **W:** It’s ok, Ahyo and Rahasai did mention you had work.

 **S:** yeah, sorry,,,, i cant have my phone on me during work

 **W:** Oh, really?

William hesitated to ask, although he was seriously curious. He couldn’t think of a job that required so much time away and strictly not using a phone. He didn’t want to come off as rude by prying, however.

 **W:** Well, I’m glad you’re back.

 **S:** thanks! as reconciliation for accidentally ghosting you for a month how about i treat you to lunch?

 **W:** Do you have a place in mind?

 **S:** you like burgers?

 **W:** Yes, I do actually

 **S:** sweet. do u want me to pick you up?

William’s first thought was that if he accepted, he wouldn’t end up wasting money on a lift on the off chance Stephen changed his mind. His second thought was that he shouldn’t still be upset about Stephen unintentionally setting off his anxiety.

 **W:** That sounds good. Just bring a bag for your movies.

 **S:** oh yeah! i forgot i lent those to you. i literally just got home so i havent looked through my shelves or anything yet

 **W:** They were really good, by the way. Thanks again for lending them :)

 **S:** no problem will, you can always borrow from my collection if theres something you wanna watch

 **W:** So, will I see you soon?

 **S:** whenever you wanna go, i’m available

 **W:** Then, give me half an hour and you can come over.

 **S:** sweet, be there in 30 then

William hurried to get ready, changing into something he felt more confident about going out in. He gathered the DVD cases from where they had been sitting in the TV stand, collecting dust. When he had everything he felt like he needed, he left the apartment to go wait down by the street parking near the building.

Soon after, Stephen pulled up next to the complex. He took off his helmet and held it out to William as the other walked over. “Nice seeing you again,” he said with a smile.

William nodded in acknowledgement. “You, too,” he replied, taking the helmet. He almost met Stephen’s eyes, but found himself glancing away and towards the bike. “So, you never told me where we’re going…”

“Good Times,” Stephen answered. “Trust me, you’re gonna love it.”

William chuckled and put on the helmet. “Good Times? Isn’t that what you brought when we ate at the park?”

Stephen’s smile was immediately placed with a thoughtful look. “Oh… I did? Huh…” His cheeks took on a soft pink tone as he averted his gaze. “Well, if you wanna go somewhere else, we can.”

William blinked in surprise - he didn’t think he had seen Stephen act embarrassed before. “No, we can go,” he reassured, trying not to smile. “At least I know I’ll like it.”

Clearing his throat, Stephen nodded. “Sweet.”

Their destination wasn’t too far from William’s apartment. It was in a mall complex a few miles away. It was clear this place had been there for quite a while by the faded sign outside, and it was bustling with activity. A long line of cars stretched out from the drive-thru and the inside was filled with people. As they pulled into the parking lot, William questioned, “It’s busy… are we even going to be able to get a seat?”

“I always manage to find a seat,” Stephen reassured with a chuckle as he found a place to park the bike. “Most people get it to-go anyways.”

As they approached the outside of the building, William could get a better impression of how crowded it really was through the windows. He stuck close to Stephen as they entered and lined up at the front counter.

Stephen let William order first, and immediately ordered after him. Before William could ask any questions, Stephen pulled out his wallet and paid for them.

Although William had been doubtful, Stephen did find a recently-abandoned small table near the window. As they sat down to wait for their orders, William gave a long look out the window and towards the street.

Stephen dropped his backpack onto the floor next to his chair, before holding up their cups. “What kinda drink do you want?”

William turned his attention back to the other. “Oh, just a cola.” Stephen nodded and went off to fill their drinks, leaving William to his own devices.

After he left, William sighed and absently brushed off some small crumbs off the table. He was starting to feel a bit anxious again, and the high-energy of the restaurant around him wasn’t helping.

Stephen came back and sat down at his seat, setting down their drinks on the table. “Okay, so, what’ve I missed while I was gone?”

“I don’t know if you missed much,” William answered immediately, eager for a distraction. “But Ahyo and Rahasai have taken me around a lot of the city.”

“Oh, hell yeah,” Stephen smiled. “I love it when I don’t miss much. How’re you liking the city?”

“It’s pretty nice… It seems a lot less overwhelming to navigate now that I know enough good places to visit.”

“That’s good.” Stephen leaned his elbows on the table. “So, you liked Star Wars. Have you watched anything else this past month that you liked?”

“My brothers have been sending me a lot of recommendations,” William answered with a smile. “I watched one called _Into the Woods_ the other day, since my brother’s theater group is putting it on as a show.”

“Oh, man, I love that one!” Stephen leaned in. “Your brother’s in a theater group? Is this the same one we talked about before?”

“Um…” William thought back, and then shook his head. “No, this is one of my younger brothers, David. And yes, he’s a very talented actor.”

“That’s awesome,” Stephen said with a grin. “My sister was also a really great actress. She loved musicals a lot.”

“I didn’t know you had a sister,” William noted, surprised. “What kind of shows did she do?”

Stephen looked up in thought. “Oh, a lot. I don’t remember too much about them anymore, but I do remember she did Shakespeare a couple times and a _lot_ of musicals. They were usually the really cheery ones.”

William chuckled. “I think she and my brother would get along. David’s group exclusively does musicals - it gives him a chance to show off more.”

“All thespians like to show off,” Stephen scoffed lightly. “It’s part of being in theater.”

“That’s true,” William agreed, “It always exasperates me at family game nights. But, even so, I’ll always go see him on the stage.”

“That’s good.” Stephen averted his eyes, but held a quiet smile. “Supporting your family like that is really important.”

William looked over at him, noticing his shift in demeanor. After a moment, he asked, “Was it the same for you and your sister?”

Stephen looked back at William. “Oh, yeah. She was loud and obnoxious all the time, but I never missed her shows.”

William smiled softly, nodding along. “Right?”

Their orders were called out shortly afterward, and they picked up their meals before continuing their conversation. William talked about his other brothers at length, recounting a couple recent stories to Stephen. Despite William’s many ramblings and tangents, Stephen seemed interested and tuned into the conversation at all times. He made comments and recalled his own short stories sometimes, but mostly let William speak to his heart’s content.

They finished their respective meals but hung around the restaurant a while longer. Eventually, William wound down, but remained relaxed in Stephen’s presence. He had to stop himself from going on and on any further, caught off guard by his own sudden openness. But a moment afterward, when he looked at Stephen’s lingering expression of interest, he understood why. This was the first time, in a long time, that he had met someone who wanted to get to know _him_.


	5. Confiding

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stephen led William through the park to the swing set, before claiming one for himself and kicking off. William sat down on the next swing over, starting off with a much slower back-and-forth sway. After a few moments, Stephen spoke up again. “So, how have things been for you the past few days? I haven’t heard from you.”  
> “Abraham came by to visit,” William said, watching his feet as he lightly swung them in the air. “Other than that… not much.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i (animorbid), personally, love this chapter. i hope you do too!!

The downside of his decision to move to California was the distance it put between William and his family. His brother, Abraham, however, could cross long distances without much issue, and made it clear he was only a phone call away from a visit.

William called Abraham down a few days after his second outing with Stephen. He had been keeping his family updated on his transition to the new city, but he wanted to prove that things were going as well as he said. Abraham had professed an interest in seeing a few of the places he mentioned, but William was certain he was also masking his concern.

William decided to invite Abraham out to Hepcat’s. He had worried at first about running into Stephen there, but later didn’t think it would’ve been so bad. When they arrived there, however, there wasn’t any sign of him or his bike. He found himself disappointed, but tried not to think about it. Especially since his particularly perceptive brother was around.

They bought drinks and took a seat at one of the tables, and William saw Abraham take a cursory look around. He had an inkling that his older brother might like this bar, and smiled to himself at Abraham’s subtle interest. “I didn’t think you’d want to meet up at a bar,” he said, lightly drumming his fingers on the tabletop. “I thought you’d choose a cafe, or something.”

“I like the music here,” William remarked. He looked towards the stage, which was currently vacant of performers. Then he shrugged, lifting up his glass, “And drinking isn’t so bad now that I know what I like.”

Abraham looked down at his own drink, and scoffed lightly. “Oh, really? I was under the impression that you didn’t like alcohol.”

“No,” William said back, rolling his eyes. “I don’t like the  _ taste _ of hard alcohol, which you and David exclusively gave me.”

Abraham chuckled. “You can’t tell us alcohol doesn’t affect you and not expect us to test that out. And now you know you  _ can _ get drunk.”

“I said it  _ barely _ affects me,” William muttered, sighing. “And after that experience, I don’t think I’ll try getting drunk again.”

“So, if you’re not really into hard alcohol, which is pretty much why you go to a bar instead of just drinking some flowery wine at home,” Abraham pointed out, narrowing his gaze slightly, “... then you must really like the music here.”

William blinked, and then shrugged again. “Um, yeah. It’s pretty good… and I thought you might like the style, too.”

“There’s no one playing right now,” Abraham said.

William flushed. “I didn’t know that, I thought they would always have music here.”

“Did you pick this bar because you thought  _ I’d _ like it, or because you really like it?” Abraham questioned, raising a brow at him. “Cause I’m good anywhere, we didn’t have to go out.”

“No, I just had a really good time here before!” William said back. “I know it’s usually not my… scene, but I actually like this place.”

When he looked over at Abraham, his older brother seemed to be scrutinizing him. It only lasted for a moment, though, before Abraham seemed to smile at whatever conclusion he made. “Alright, well, heads up - if you want to come here for music, bars usually advertise their shows online.”

William relaxed, nodding back at him. “Oh, I’ll keep that in mind…” He paused, took a long sip of his drink, and then asked, “So… how are things going at home?”

Abraham’s expression softened. “Things are… better now. Less awkward. Still kinda fucking weird, but there’s no avoiding that - just dealing with it.”

“Yeah…” William agreed quietly.

“There’s still letters coming in for you,” Abraham noted, making William freeze up. He reached across the table to put a hand on William’s arm, saying, “Hey, you’re fine, you already made yourself clear. They’re the ones who need to take a fucking hint.”

William bit his lip, shaking his head. “N-no, I know… I’m good. I just… hoped they would have stopped by now. But I know it’s not that easy.”

Abraham stared at William for a long moment, and then lightly patted his arm. “Come on, I’ll get you another drink. We have more catching up to do.”

Abraham left later that evening, leaving William alone in his apartment. Although he usually needed time to decompress after a night out, the absence of his brother’s presence left him lonely. He didn’t feel tired enough to attempt sleeping yet, but didn’t want to be left with his thoughts either - instead of retreating to bed, he curled up on the couch and tried to find something to watch.

Near midnight that night, William’s phone buzzed with a message. Surprised, he checked it, and saw Stephen’s name on the screen.

**S:** hey u up?

He didn’t even realize how late it was until he saw the timestamp on the message. William still didn’t quite feel tired enough to sleep.

**W:** Yeah, I am.

**W:** Why’re you up?

**S:** cant sleep. do you wanna go to the park?

William gave a cursory glance up back towards the television. It had been partially distracting, but mostly numbing.

**W:** I can’t sleep either.

**W:** The park sounds nice.

**S:** sweet. when will you be ready

**W:** Just give me ten minutes.

**S:** see u then B)

William was already dressed from his outing with Abraham. He didn’t think he needed to bring much to go to a park, so after waiting inside a few minutes longer, he went out to the building’s parking lot. Stephen arrived not long after.

Stephen drove through the empty streets at a faster pace than William was used to. He remained careful on the turns, but sped down the long, curving streets so the cold wind stung their noses. William held onto Stephen tightly, getting shaken more awake by the cold air and the loud sound of the bike’s engine.

The park was completely empty, as was expected. Stephen parked the bike and stretched once standing on the ground with a loud sigh. “Good to have some fresh air, huh?”

William took off the helmet Stephen gave him, leaving it on the seat of the bike. “It’s… quiet,” he noted, hearing barely anything except the distant sound of cars and singing crickets.

“That’s what I like about it,” Stephen said, looking around with a smile at the different structures and tables beneath the lights.

William watched Stephen turn inwards towards the rest of the park. “Do you do this often?” he asked curiously, noticing just how relaxed the other seemed in that moment.

Stephen glanced back toward William. “Oh, sometimes. I just get in the mood to go out at night occasionally.”

“Because you can’t sleep?” William asked.

For a moment, Stephen stayed quiet, before averting his eyes. His smile never faded. “Yeah. Hey, do you like swings?”

William thought back to an old memory of playing on a tire swing. He smiled back, and quietly replied, “Yeah… I do.”

“Sweet, swings are pretty much my favorite thing.” Stephen led William through the park to the swing set, before claiming one for himself and kicking off. William sat down on the next swing over, starting off with a much slower back-and-forth sway. After a few moments, Stephen spoke up again. “So, how have things been for you the past few days? I haven’t heard from you.”

“Abraham came by to visit,” William said, watching his feet as he lightly swung them in the air. “Other than that… not much.”

“Oh, how’d that go?”

“It was nice. It was good to see him again.” William paused, then admitted, “I always miss them - my brothers.”

Stephen glanced over at the other. “How far do they live?”

“They live over on the east coast. So, it’s hard for all of them to visit.”

Stephen nodded. “I see. What else have you been up to, though? Did he stay all four days since I last saw you?”

“No, he was only over today, actually…” William trailed off, feeling himself tense up. “I really haven’t been up to much.”

Dragging his foot on the ground to slow down his swinging, Stephen looked over at William. “Watch any cool movies? You haven’t asked me for any.”

William shrugged. "Nothing in particular - I couldn't really remember anything else in your collection, anyway. I got a bit distracted when I saw Star Wars."

“You have to have done  _ something _ ,” Stephen urged on.

“It’s not that I’ve done nothing!” William faltered, suddenly feeling frustrated.

Stephen tapped at his lips with his finger, before pointing it toward the other with a thoughtful look. “I’ve noticed something.”

William drew in a deep breath, and looked over at the other. “...What?”

“You don’t talk about yourself very much. I mean, you talk about your brothers a lot, but not really about you.”

After a moment, William slowed himself to a stop. “There’s not much for me to talk about, otherwise… I don’t really have any interesting… interests.”

“I doubt that,” Stephen said back. “I think anything about you is interesting.”

William bit his lip. “I don’t really know how to talk about myself, either…”

Stephen cocked his head. “Why’s that?”

“I don’t know, it’s just... it’s really hard to talk to someone when I don’t know what they’re expecting.”

“Well, why does what I expect matter?” Stephen stopped swinging, turning himself toward William.

"Because…" William hesitated, and turned away, finding it even more difficult to find the right words when talking to the other face-to-face. "I don't really want to end up… disappointing you, or anyone else. It's not a good feeling…"

Stephen’s look turned curious, but rather sad. “You’re not going to disappoint me, you know. Unless you secretly turn out to be a huge asshole. Then I might be a little disappointed.”

Still looking away, William continued, "I don't know… I don't feel like everything I like  _ fits _ me… like I shouldn't like those things…"

“You shouldn’t like what?” Stephen lifted up his feet, making his weight swing back to the side.

“It’s… childish,” William said.

“Childish?” Stephen chuckled. “Like going to the park to swing on the swingset?”

A second passed, and then William eventually returned his gaze to Stephen. Stephen was letting his swing twist idly side to side, staring out toward the street. The knot in William’s stomach loosened. “I know I’m overthinking it…” he muttered, letting out a deep breath. “... I don’t really do a lot of reading anymore, but… I’ve been collecting some books…”

Stephen glanced toward William. “What kinds of books?”

“...They’re comic books.”

At that, Stephen grinned. “Comic books, huh?”

William shrugged again, feeling embarrassed and overwhelmed. “I don’t know. I used to really like them - I still think they’re … cool,” he stammered in his defense.

Stephen chuckled. “I’m a Spider-man guy myself. I’ve loved him since I was a kid.”

William paused, just waiting for Stephen to say anything else, watching for… something. But he didn’t see anything beyond a slight bit of surprise and the thoughtful expression that followed. “...Batman was my favorite superhero when I was younger,” he finally said. “I saw there were movies about him, but… I really liked the older Batman, so I’ve been looking for the comics I used to read…”

“Did you know about the comic book shop that’s about fifteen minutes from here?” Stephen asked.

Nodding, William said, “I think so. I’ve been going to one to, um, buy whatever copies I could find. That’s where I heard that, well… that people think the older superhero comics are weird or ‘corny’.”

Stephen rolled his eyes. “In exchange for what? ‘Gritty realism’? I’d rather stick with the fun stuff.”

William smiled a bit. “Yeah, I don’t really get it myself.”

Stephen started to swing himself lightly again. “Did you think I’d be surprised to hear you’re into comics?”

“There are a lot of people who would be,” William muttered, following suit.

“I mean, it seems pretty on-brand to me,” Stephen said back.

William gave Stephen an incredulous look. “...What do you mean?”

“Well, you’re into Star Wars,” Stephen pointed out. “Most people I’ve met that like sci-fi are also into superheroes in some way.”

William stared at Stephen for a long moment. It was like the tight knot of pent-up anxiety had snapped rather than loosened. It was so sudden a feeling that he didn’t have the time to consider his next words, before he said, “That doesn’t make sense - Star Wars is the  _ only  _ sci-fi series I’ve watched. I usually like character dramas!”

Stephen smiled. “That’s also not very surprising.”

"Alright, now you're just full of it," William shot back, but without any real heat in his voice. "I've never even hinted that before!"

Stephen snickered. “Why were you so scared of telling me this stuff? Are you that dedicated to your brand?”

William sighed, lifting his head up to look out at the black sky. "It's not that… it's complicated."

“Well, here’s a question. Were you surprised to hear I like musicals?”

William thought back to that moment. "I was," he answered.

“Was that a bad thing?”

He immediately shook his head. "No…"

Stephen nodded, shifting his eyes elsewhere. “I see.”

Uncertain of what he could say after that, William let himself get absorbed in the quiet, sometimes broken by the creaking swingset. He understood the point Stephen made, and it was a lesson he was constantly relearning. Especially on days when painful memories came back to the surface.

Usually, when it was too quiet, he couldn't stop himself from thinking about them. But Stephen's presence kept him grounded in the moment. The realization made him feel a sudden rush of gratitude.

He eventually broke the silence between them. "Thank you," he quietly voiced, keeping his gaze distant. 

Stephen turned a smile toward William. “No need to thank me. I’m probably stepping where I’m not welcome, honestly.”

William scoffed lightly in response, but didn't say anything else. He wanted the silence in his own head to last as long as it would.


	6. Letters From Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Clasping his hands together tightly, William paused to think about the past moments he shared with the other. Despite everything else that seemed to be falling down around him, he felt very certain about the choice he was making. “I have a couple tickets for a concert coming up. I wanted to ask… if you’d like to go with me.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> woops, a day late! please forgive us :,)

William hadn’t expected to have a firm sense of security in his new home until much longer than a month had passed. He had thought all the change would keep him unsettled and uncertain. Truthfully, he still hadn’t fully reconciled all the differences between life in the Middle Realm and the Fae Realm. They were very different places with very different people, but he was discovering that wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. The people, the friends that he made here, were what made the adjustment process so much easier.

For a while, William was certain in his choices. He still wished he didn’t have to be so far from home, but he knew it was still necessary. Maybe someday, he would finally have the courage to face everything he left behind. But he wasn’t ready for that yet, and he didn’t need to be. All he needed to do was focus on himself.

The unfortunate thing was that time and space had to be given. His family and his friends were good at giving it - but they weren’t the only people in his life. Although he had done everything in his own power to give himself time and space, it was something the Fae were never good at granting him.

The first letter showed up innocuously with the rest of his mail. He had immediately burned it up, and then called home to ask if anyone had forwarded it to him. He felt awful for questioning whether or not his own family might do this to him, but the alternative was much worse.

William tried to not let it get to him, and maintain the lifestyle he was honestly enjoying. But when a letter found its way into his new life, only more followed. After the first couple, they migrated from his mailbox to within his front door. They were fireproofed or charmed so that if he got rid of them, they would only reappear. He couldn’t even throw them out normally, or risk exposing his own magic and then uprooting the life he had so carefully made for himself.

On a day when a letter had landed precisely on the desk in his study, William threw down the work in his hand and fled his apartment. He was tired, and although he usually spent Wednesdays by himself, he didn’t particularly want to be alone in that moment. He thought of Stephen, who messaged him out of the blue in the dead of night. Then he sent a message of his own, feeling too out of sorts to question whether it might come off as out-of-character for him.

**W:** Are you busy right now?

Stephen’s response came shortly after.

**S:** just got home, why do u ask?

**W:** I need a break from work. I thought we could do something.

**S:** sure thing, you have anything in mind?

William thought for a moment, considering his options. His nerves felt frayed, and he was on-edge with nervous energy.

**W:** We could walk around Old Town, and look around. I’ve been sitting and doing nothing too long.

**S:** sounds good. you want a ride?”

**W:** If you don’t mind. Come over whenever.

**S:** alright, i’ll text you when im on my way

**W:** Thank you.

William got dressed to leave the apartment straight away. He wasn’t quite sure how long it would be until Stephen arrived, but he was in need of immediate fresh air. He stumbled as he left, seeing another neat stack of envelopes on his front doormat - they were promptly kicked out of sight.

Eventually, William got his text and Stephen showed up. They went out to the area of town filled with privately-owned shops and restaurants. They wandered around and chatted a bit, but their conversations remained rather uninvolved. As nice as Stephen’s company always was, William knew this distraction was temporary and didn’t look forward to its end.

He tried to hide his true feelings, commenting on things that he saw to keep up a vague conversation. Stephen kept up his own end of the conversation, seeming to try his best to make jokes and keep William in a good mood. Whether or not he noticed William was bothered by something, William was grateful.

Hours passed far too quickly. The mid-afternoon sun drifted lower and lower as they walked around, until eventually most of all the stores they passed were closed. William didn’t feel quite ready to return home yet, but also felt that he had exhausted his social ability for the day. The conversation between them had gotten sparse, and he was tired now.

“I think it’s about time I got home,” he said as they walked through a mostly vacant street. “Thanks for meeting up with me today, Stephen.”

“Hey, no problem,” Stephen said back, giving William’s shoulder a firm pat as he smiled toward him. “Thanks for inviting me out.”

William smiled back, feeling pleasantly warm at the other’s touch. “Well, I like hanging out with you,” he said. “Actually, speaking of invitations, I… want to ask you something.”

Stephen gave a curious look. “Oh? Ask me what?”

Clasping his hands together tightly, William paused to think about the past moments he shared with the other. Despite everything else that seemed to be falling down around him, he felt very certain about the choice he was making. “I have a couple tickets for a concert coming up. I wanted to ask… if you’d like to go with me.”

At that, Stephen’s face lit up. He nodded eagerly. “Yeah, of course!”

William grinned back, and then tamped down on it, feeling a little overeager. “Great! Um, just remind me later to send you the details.”

“Sure, I’ll make sure to clear my schedule for it,” Stephen said back, before he stopped walking and turned toward William. “Do you want me to take you home?”

After hesitating, William nodded his head. "Oh, yes. Thank you."

Stephen led them back to where he had parked his bike, and they set off back to William’s apartment. The dark streets were getting colder as the night grew later. It was a short ride, and as he came closer and closer to his apartment building, the warm happiness he was feeling was slowly replaced by a cold dread.

After parking the bike, Stephen walked William up to the building’s door. “It was nice seeing you again,” Stephen said.

William perked up a bit, just able to offer one last smile. "It was nice seeing you, too. Enjoy the rest of your night."

Stephen nodded, but didn’t leave quite yet. Instead, he kept his eyes on William, before taking his hands out of his sweatshirt pocket. He opened his arms up, offering an inviting smile. William looked at Stephen with surprise, and regarded him with a slight flush. After a brief second of hesitation, though, he stepped up and accepted the embrace. It was warm, making his stomach briefly flutter.

Stephen gave William a quick pat on the back before letting him go. He kept a hand on the other’s shoulder for a moment as he looked down at William with a small smile. “If you need me again, text me, okay?”

"...Okay," William replied, using the last bit of energy he had to meet the other's gaze.

Stephen gave William’s shoulder a pat, letting his eyes linger, before he stepped back. “Seeya, Will.”

When Stephen was out of view, William slumped and turned towards the building with reluctance. He drew in a deep breath of the night air, and slowly made his way in.

It didn't come as a surprise when later in the week, Victor told William he would be coming down for a visit. If that hadn't been the case, he might've called Victor down himself.

At this point, William was not in as bad of a state as when the first reminders of his time in the Fae Realm arrived. Burning the letters was a bit cathartic once he learned to dispel the charms that kept bringing them back. But, he was still unsettled and had resurfacing feelings of doubt. He couldn't talk himself out of those feelings - he needed someone else to.

Victor arrived at William’s apartment with a small brown paper gift bag and a bright smile. “I brought some fudge for you,” he said, holding the bag out toward William. 

William took the bag, managing a smile as he let Victor into the apartment. “Thanks. I don’t think I’ve realized how much I missed your baking.”

“Which is why I’ll bring some every time I visit,” Victor said as he set his bag down by the door and kicked off his shoes.

After closing the front door, William walked across the room to set the bag of fudge on the kitchen counter. “So… how are things going back home? How’s Francis?”

“Oh, things are great,” Victor replied, making his way over toward the couch. “Francis has been really determined lately. He’s really working hard.”

William smiled, joining him. "That's good… he sounded very passionate about his work the last time I talked to him, too."

Victor sat down, tucking his feet up. “I’m really excited for him. He’s going to be a great teacher.”

"And how are you doing, Victor?" William then continued, folding his hands neatly into his lap.

“I’m doing well,” Victor responded. He leaned against the arm of the couch. “I’ve been having trouble finding some good books to read lately, but everything's going fine.”

"Oh, well, I'm sure you'll find something eventually. But it's good that everything's good." William paused, and then let out a little sigh. "Um, thank you for taking the time to visit. It really is good to see you."

Victor smiled in response. “It truly is my pleasure, Will. I’m always happy to come see you.”

Victor’s earnest words flustered William, making him glance away. After a moment passed, he cleared his throat and said, “So, I didn’t get the chance to tell you yet, but I did manage to invite someone to that concert…”

At that, Victor’s smile brightened. “Oh? Who’d you invite?”

William smiled back, warming up at the memory. “Stephen.”

Victor seemed interested. “I see. Have you guys been spending more time together?”

“Yeah… he’s been very nice. He’s been very easy to talk to,” William replied. “He also has an  _ amazing  _ music collection, so I thought he’d really appreciate the opportunity.”

Victor nodded. “You seem to have put a lot of thought into the decision. I’m glad.”

“Well, honestly, you didn’t give me a lot of time to make a decision - and I only had two other choices,” William sighed.

“Still,” Victor chuckled. “I’m glad you took it seriously.”

“Of course I did,” William muttered back. “You made it seem so important for me to do.”

Victor smiled. “Which yielded great results.”

William briefly smiled back, but then regarded Victor with a serious expression. “I thought so too, but… I wonder if it’s actually made me more independent…”

Victor cocked his head. “What do you mean?”

“I’ve been liking it here - going out, seeing new places, meeting new people. I’ve been liking things that usually make me uncomfortable,” William said. “And that’s nice… but Stephen’s the reason I’ve been able to do all that. He makes it easier for me. I couldn’t really do all of it by myself… I’m being dependent on someone else.”

Victor listened quietly with a thoughtful expression. “Well, you can function on your own without Stephen, right?”

“...I can,” William confirmed, but with a tone of uncertainty. “But… I don’t know how to explain it. Sometimes, I can’t help but notice he’s not there.”

“Hm. I think you’re confusing really enjoying him and his company with dependency,” Victor said. “I can function without Francis, but I just prefer having him around, you know?”

“You’re also dating Francis - that’s not strange,” William pointed out. “Other than him, you don’t often just think about one person, do you?”

Victor chuckled. “You’re only thinking about him?”

“ _ Sometimes _ ,” William immediately defended, flushing. Then he looked down, the last words he said still ringing in his mind, slowly coming into clarity. “...Lately,” he trailed off.

“I don’t wanna speak for you,” Victor said, holding back his smile. “...but it sounds to me like you really like Stephen.”

William was silent for a long moment, still grappling with his own realization. When he looked back up at Victor, the other’s expression didn’t change, but his gaze was knowing. “... I’ve liked people before,” he said back. “But it’s not the same feeling - it’s different.”

Victor stayed quiet for a moment, unsure of what to say. “Then I think your feelings are stronger than liking him.”

William didn’t outwardly react to Victor’s words, having already come to the same conclusion himself. But the realization didn’t make him feel better. Victor seemed certain that his feelings weren’t a detriment to his independence, and that was nice. The last thing he wanted after the first thing that unsettled his new life here was another confirmation that things weren’t working out. But this was a different kind of problem altogether.

“I can’t deal with this right now,” William eventually said, shaking his head. “I can’t… I just want to get my life back together.”

Victor looked curious. “Is you… liking him not a good thing?”

“Now that I recognize that, I can’t just  _ ignore  _ it,” William said. “I’m not sure I can act normal around him… and I invited him to a  _ concert _ .”

Victor tried to hide his smile, but he couldn’t hold back a small giggle. “I’m sorry, I really am, but… is this really a bad thing?”

William bit his lip. “Right now, it doesn’t feel like a good thing.”

“Well, if you don’t want to go with him, you can say something,” Victor suggested.

“If I suddenly ask him not to go with me, that would just bring up the question of  _ why _ . And that’s what I want to avoid.”

“Gotcha.” Victor nodded. “I have a question for you.”

William looked at Victor reluctantly. “What question?”

“Have you considered that Stephen might feel the same way?”

“... I don’t know,” William said. Truthfully, he couldn’t help but doubt it, but he felt that Victor would call him out on his pessimism. “Not really... This is my first time thinking about it.”

“It’s ultimately up to you, but you’ll never know if you decide to cancel.”

William doubted that he wanted to know at all, but didn’t voice it. “I know… I’ll think about it,” he said instead, eager to move on from this conversation. "So, the wedding. Have you and Francis picked a date yet?"

Victor’s expression shifted into a genuine smile. “Oh, we haven’t picked a date yet, but we know it’s happening soon. We already have the money set aside for everything.”

Victor, mercifully, let things shift from there, but it was ever-present on William’s mind even after he left. He couldn’t understand Victor’s optimism. It just felt so unlikely that his feelings would be shared. If his life up until now was any indication, things could never work out so easily for him.


	7. His First

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Music was playing over the speakers, and some screens up at the front were playing the songs’ respective music videos. During lulls in their conversation, Stephen quietly sang the lyrics he knew, drumming his thumbs against his leg. William couldn't help but watch him at times. He was reminded again of how the subtle spark of something in the other's expression left him longing. It wasn't something he understood before, but now knew as a sign of how deep his feelings went.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oop......

It later became apparent that William wouldn’t often get the time to fret about his personal feelings. The days of unproductiveness had caught up with him, and he had to spend time to himself restocking his charms to sell. The work stalled whenever he worked on his hand woven crafts, and other than his nights in bed, it was the only time he had for his thoughts. And, though he did think of Stephen a lot, he had other worries.

His work gave him a good excuse to avoid the other for some time. He was unfortunately prone to strong feelings and couldn’t ignore them - he had to instead work to reconcile them. William didn’t end up asking Stephen not to attend the concert with him. It wasn’t because he thought it would lead to something, though, but because he most of all didn’t want to mess up their friendship. He doubted Stephen would take offense, but it would hang between them uncomfortably.

William did eventually see Stephen again. As he predicted, it was difficult to act normally around him. When they locked eyes, he immediately glanced away so he didn’t seem to be staring too long. He was careful about his words to the other, wondering if something he said came off a tad too fond. Physical contact was the most tasking trial of all, and he avoided it whenever he could. If Stephen noticed, he didn’t say anything about it. He acted as he usually did, sporting a bright smile.

When the day of the concert rolled around, William felt at least assured that his behavior would be overlooked. It was also his first big concert, and that alone would probably keep him from overthinking his every move. He was, despite everything else, excited to experience a live show with Stephen.

Stephen seemed excited, too, when William met up with him. Stephen pulled up on his bike to pick him up and greeted William with a wide grin as he got off his bike. “Hey, Will! You ready?”

William nervously smiled at Stephen, fidgeting with one sleeve of his light sweater. “Yeah, I’m ready to go,” he said.

Stephen walked up to him with his arms outstretched, and William stood stock still for a moment as Stephen hugged him. He returned the embrace, but quickly pulled away when he felt his heartbeat start to rush. “Um, so, let’s go then?” William offered, turning his gaze to Stephen’s bike. 

“Yeah, of course,” Stephen said with a nod, picking the helmet up from the seat and handing it to William. William immediately put it on as Stephen got back onto his bike. Without the cover of the visor, he wasn’t sure how well he could hide his expression for the length of the ride.

They got there plenty early so they could find their seats, but first Stephen led William toward a long line in the hallway of the venue. William closely tagged along, curiously looking around and taking in the crowded space. Stephen looked over at William. He never seemed to stop smiling. “This is your first big concert, right?”

William nodded, trying to glance down the line they were in. “Pretty much, yeah.” Down the hall, there was a large crowd around a merchandise stand.

Stephen’s smile somehow grew even happier. “I’m glad I get to be here with you, then.”

Stephen’s earnest words made William flush. For a moment, he thought hopefully about Stephen sharing his affections. But, then again, this wasn’t the first time he had seen that fond smile from the other. “...I’m really glad, too,” he softly returned, despite his conflicting feelings.

After some small talk, they got closer to the merch stand. Now that they could see it, Stephen leaned in to speak to William over the voices of the crowd of people trying to see the display. “Pick something you like.”

William looked over at Stephen in surprise. “Oh! Um…” He examined the products on display at the stand, and then said, “I think… a shirt, then.”

When it was their turn, Stephen let William pick out his shirt and got one for himself. He paid and thanked the vendor, before handing William his shirt in a bag. “Here ya go.”

William looked into the bag, smiling excitedly to himself. As they began to head away from the merch stand, he gave Stephen a warm, “Thank you.”

Stephen looked over at William. “No problem.”

Stephen led the way again, taking William down the hall and towards one of the multiple entrances going into the stadium. As they went through the doors, there was a definite difference in the volume of sound from the other early concert-goers already looking for their seats. William looked around as he followed Stephen, imagining how the stadium would look with its seats filled. They were in pretty good seats, up at the front of the second level close to the front near the stage. Stephen got comfortable in his seat, tucking his bagged shirt underneath.

William did as well, then settling into his seat and intently looking toward the stage. There wasn’t much happening yet - there was stage equipment and a drum set, and some stage workers filtering in and out. Despite that, if he didn’t focus on something, his nervous habits would come out again. They were already threatening to with Stephen sitting closeby, on the fringe of his sight.

“So,” William said, eventually finding his voice. “When the concert starts… is there anything I should or shouldn’t do?”

“Well, you can definitely get on your feet and get excited,” Stephen responded. “Let the bands know you’re happy to see them.”

William glanced back at the numerous rows of seats. “Between songs?” he clarified.

“Usually, yeah,” Stephen said with a nod. “You can sing along if you know the words, too.”

Chuckling nervously, William replied. “Wow, um, maybe… no, maybe not.”

“That’s alright, too.” Stephen smiled. “Just do whatever makes you have the most fun, y’know?”

William nodded, slowly starting to relax. "Okay… I'll do that."

Music was playing over the speakers, and some screens up at the front were playing the songs’ respective music videos. During lulls in their conversation, Stephen quietly sang the lyrics he knew, drumming his thumbs against his leg. William couldn't help but watch him at times. He was reminded again of how the subtle spark of something in the other's expression left him longing. It wasn't something he understood before, but now knew as a sign of how deep his feelings went.

But William did manage to enjoy the concert in itself. It was a stark contrast to memories of the Fae realm which would never easily go away. There was an unbridled energy in the air, with no sense of imposing formality. The music was unabashed and upfront, as was the crowd - they were all caught in that spirit, in individual worlds within the same space. Usually, seeing a mass of people in any space made him shrink into a mask of himself. But then one song he knew resonated with him, and then others, and he was absorbed by the same spirit.

Before they knew it, the band members were leaving the stage, and the crowd was crying for an encore. Stephen put his arm around William’s shoulders and pulled him in close. He had a carefree smile and was lost in the energy of the room. This time, William didn’t falter at the physical touch. He smiled back, openly, his nerves so charged up that the points of contact between them felt alive with static. Their gazes locked together. The distance between them disappeared, and Stephen’s lips were pressed against his.

Everything after that felt trapped in a long chain of slow moments. The first was the longest, when he could only feel the warm press of the other’s lips and everything else followed. His heartbeat stuttered, his breath caught in his throat, and the crowd’s voices became a faraway buzz. Then, as Stephen pulled away, each of those feelings fell away one-by-one until the volume returned to his ears. The last moment was the shortest, when the warmth that had spread through him slipped away with a sudden chilling thought. The kiss was sudden, out-of-nowhere except in the pent-up spirit of the stadium. That realization sparked the remnants of his torn emotions, and suddenly he was angry.

Stephen seemed to catch on a few moments later. Unfortunately, as he tried to speak, the music swelled again. The band was back on stage. His carefree demeanor was gone, and he instead looked concerned. He shouted over the music, “I’m sorry, should I have not done that?”

William’s irritation spiked, and he instinctively looked for a way out. But the crowd was dense, and everything was only getting louder, only serving to make his growing emotions harder to mask. “Why would you think that’s  _ okay _ ?” he shouted back, his voice cracking with uncertainty. He felt the pinpricks of tears in his eyes at his own words, and clenched his jaw as if it would stop them.

Stephen bit his lip, fidgeting with his hands a bit. His expression was painted with remorse in the dim, colorful light. “I’m sorry, really, I shouldn’t have done that.”

William didn’t say anything, instead looking away. As angry as he was, seeing Stephen’s pained expression only made him feel worse. He was already having a hard time just holding himself together in that moment. Stephen seemed to struggle with himself, unsure of what to do or say. Ultimately, he decided to stay quiet, turning his gaze back over to the band playing their final songs of the night.

The time between then and the end of the concert gave William time to cap up most of his feelings again. Only some of the anger lingered as the band bade the crowd their farewells, mostly replaced by dejection. Soon, everyone was filtering out of the stadium, and William didn’t quite feel ready to face Stephen. They made their way back to where they parked the bike in silence.

Stephen held the helmet out toward William. His eyes were down. William couldn’t think of a time Stephen had ever had this little energy. William silently took the helmet from him, uncertain if he should even address it. He didn’t have to, though, because Stephen spoke first. “So… I got it wrong?”

William looked at Stephen warily, confused by his wording. “...Got  _ what  _ wrong?”

Stephen ran a hand through his hair nervously. “Y’know… I had thought that you might, uh…” He took in a steadying breath. “I thought you might have felt the same way about me…”

William gave Stephen a wide-eyed look at his words, surprised. His emotions and thoughts stalled for a brief moment. “...Is that why… you kissed me?” he asked once he found his words.

“Well, yeah.” Stephen turned his eyes up toward William. “Why else would I have kissed you?”

“...Because you were excited?” William said, voicing his own thoughts.

“I  _ was _ excited,” Stephen responded, averting his gaze again. “I kind of did it without thinking... But I’d been thinking about doing it for a while.”

William kept staring at him, still unsure about what he was hearing. But Stephen seemed sincere, even more so than usual. Still, a little hopefully now, he asked, “You have..?”

Stephen nodded, smiling to himself. “Yeah, I have.”

After watching Stephen a moment longer, William looked down at the helmet in his hands, distractedly. He drew in a deep breath. “... I was really mad, because I  _ like  _ you… and I thought you just took my first kiss just for  _ fun… _ ”

Stephen looked up at William, surprised. “Will, I would never do something like that to you.”

William bit his lip, feeling regretful about the thought, but adding, “I never thought you might like me back…”

“I  _ do _ like you.” Stephen’s eyes were earnest, shining under the warm yellow lights. “I like you  _ a lot. _ ”

Finally, that warm feeling was filling William’s chest again. But this time, everything outside of him also felt alive - there was no disconnection. He swallowed tightly, however, because an odd part of him still wanted to cry. Despite that, he said, “I … messed up before. Can we… try the kiss part again?”

Stephen’s smile returned, and he gave a nod. “Of course.”

William set the helmet down on the seat of Stephen's bike. Reassured by the other's permission, and the soft smile on his face, he stepped closer to Stephen. It wouldn't be his first kiss anymore, but it was still the first he would give. Time seemed to move much slower in comparison as he reached for Stephen's arms, and leaned up towards him. Stephen rested his hands on William’s waist and closed the rest of the distance between them.

The press of the other’s lips was uplifting now. His emotions swelled again, but they weren’t overbearing and somber. There was no room for doubt to settle in. And, outside of the presence of hundreds of bodies around them, he could feel more of himself in that moment. William understood then why Victor said his feelings weren’t dependency. It was just that Stephen made him happy, and selfishly, he wanted to continue enjoying the other’s presence in his life.


	8. (Don't) Leave Me Alone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There was an incessant knock at his apartment door, and he answered it expecting the landlord. He opened the door to two people he didn’t immediately recognize, until he heard one of them speak in a heavily accented voice. “Hello, we’re from Gaelasy University,” she greeted. “We’d like to speak with you, if you have a moment.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry we forgot to post last week ;n; i was moving and shit got bisay.

One of the most important things that William learned was that change wasn’t always unwelcome. It was a difficult lesson to learn, because the unwelcome changes to his life were always the first he thought of. But, the newer aspects of his life were his freshest memories and they were ones that he treasured.

To be honest, the idea of dating someone did fill him with uncertainty. He never had the chance to before - his experiences were limited to what he’s seen by the relationships of other people. But Stephen seemed to know and understand that, and like before, never pushed his boundaries too hard. Sometimes, William wondered how he could spare so much patience. Other times, though, it was apparent that Stephen just cared for him very much.

Stephen was an attentive person. He paid attention to William’s habits and always seemed to take them into account. He would surprise William with small gifts nearly every time they saw each other, and William always seemed to like each one more than the last. It was more apparent to William now that Stephen had always been particularly accommodating to him - even before they were dating. He had always assumed Stephen in general was overly considerate.

It wasn’t always easy, especially in the beginning. It wasn’t too long after the concert that Stephen had to return to his work for some time. William strongly noticed his absence, and recognized now that he might always feel this way. But, also as Victor said, he could function just fine without Stephen there. It was actually easier knowing why he missed the other so much.

When Stephen came back, his affections seemed even more apparent to William. When they saw each other, Stephen always seemed to be touching William in some way. With a hand on his shoulder, interlocked with his, in his hair… William wondered at times if Stephen desired the contact more than he did.

Dating didn't make everything change, however - in other ways, it was more of an addition to what was already there. It allowed William to open up to Stephen just a bit more, and somehow William felt like he could more easily understand him.

He started to notice certain things about Stephen. He noticed that Stephen was very rarely alone. When Stephen wasn’t at work or spending time with William, he was out with other friends or had company in his apartment. He couldn’t quite understand it himself - he would have been exhausted in the same position. Curious, he brought it up once.

They were in Stephen’s apartment. William expressed an interest in the other’s record collection, and was letting Stephen show him his personal favorites. At one point, Stephen paused to respond to a text message, confirming some plans for the next day.

“I’m surprised you don’t get tired from going out so often,” William noted as Stephen put his phone away. “Did you even get a day to yourself this week?”

“I find I’m not the kind of person that needs days to myself,” Stephen said, turning his attention toward William. “I prefer to be around other people.”

“I couldn’t do that,” William said, tired at just the thought. “Especially with so many different people. I’d lose my own head space.”

Stephen shrugged. “I just don’t like being alone.”

Stephen’s words were so nonchalant that William easily moved on from it in the moment. Sometime later, when he had already gone home, he thought about it again. It was a reasonable answer, but William couldn’t help but feel that it was still strange to go so far to not be alone. But it wasn’t something he was certain enough about to bring up again.

Unfortunately, the parts of his life that William tried to avoid were still ever present. The reminders came in many forms, and they continued to come once they found him. For one, he realized that he still could not bring himself to share a vital part of his upbringing. He still couldn’t speak about it even to those who already knew, let alone the new people he welcomed into his life. He could feel the reminder in gaps of conversation, where he hesitated and stalled and instead spoke of something else. He knew it was noticed and ignored out of kindness.

Other reminders were more physical - the letters he kept ignoring, mainly. He had at least become accustomed to those, and was mostly annoyed by them now. They did present another problem. They made him avoid inviting anyone over, even Stephen, out of fear of having to explain their continued existence in his home.

But neither of those things were the most unwelcome reminder by far. The most unwelcome one was the reason he had made such a drastic move in the first place. It was another physical reminder, but one he couldn’t just toss out or throw away. Maybe it was physically possible for him - but his upbringing had left him with one thing in particular. Whenever he met face-to-face with the Fae, he felt like a scared child again.

There was an incessant knock at his apartment door, and he answered it expecting the landlord. He opened the door to two people he didn’t immediately recognize, until he heard one of them speak in a heavily accented voice. “Hello, we’re from Gaelasy University,” she greeted. “We’d like to speak with you, if you have a moment.”

William straightened, looking down the hall and confirming it was empty. He spoke a moment afterward, adopting a formal tone he hadn’t used in months. “ _ I believe I have already given the University my response regarding my return _ ,” he said in Faerie.

“ _ The headmasters of the University elected to extend the deadline for your return _ ,” the second replied.

“ _ I do not intend to return at any time,” _ he said back, as firmly as he could. “ _ If that was not clear, then pass that message on again _ .”

“ _ If we could just have a moment of your time to discuss possible routes, we’ll be out of here in no time, _ ” the first Fae insisted.

“ _ The University has a vested interest in your future. You only need to grant us an opportunity to remind you of that, _ ” the other added.

The way they spoke was disarming, and in the past it was enough to let slip his defenses. But he knew that if he gave them a single opportunity, it could be enough to undo the progress he had made.

“ _ I thank you for the consideration _ ,” he said quickly, stepping back into his apartment. “ _ But I have other business to attend to. I cannot have this conversation today _ .” Before they could make another appeal to him, he shut the door and locked it.

He retreated to his bedroom on the off chance they decided to knock again, but he doubted they would try again so soon. Still, he was trapped in his apartment for the time being - it wouldn’t be easy to head off that conversation otherwise. If they were willing to come directly to his apartment, maybe they were even willing to corner him somewhere else. And, if they did somewhere in sight of his friends, they might learn who he really was.


	9. Day of Peace

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> William wrung his fingers together. "I don't really… want to go," he admitted. "But I'd feel bad making you drive me back late into the night."  
> Stephen looked back at William. “...You could always stay the night.”  
> William was surprised by the invitation. He had never stayed over before. After thinking back to what might be waiting for him at home, he eventually said, "...is that alright?"  
> Stephen gave an amused smile. “I’m the one that offered.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oops, we died for a while there

Staying at his apartment for days at a time wasn’t ideal, but William wasn’t brave enough to deal with the alternative. He wasn’t ready to confront his other life confidently. He was more willing to let his carefully crafted routine fall out of sorts than to risk losing sight of himself again. Still, it was admittingly foolish to think avoiding his problems would make them go away.

It was even more foolish to think that this would keep them separate from his personal life. He begged off going out for a while, making excuses and hoping they would outlive the Fae’s persistence. He didn’t think about the fact that he would have to own up to them even if that were the case. It was an old habit of his which continued to live on - ignoring consequences on the very slim hope he wouldn’t have to deal with them.

After a week, though, William was granted a temporary reprieve. He woke up without letters to attend to, and didn't have any sudden visitors show up that day. He was perhaps overeager to take advantage of the opportunity, but he almost immediately called Stephen.

He answered after a few rings. He sounded like he had just woken up. “Hey, Will, what’s up?”

“Hey Stephen,” William greeted, already relieved from hearing his voice. “Uh… are you free today?”

“I can be,” Stephen said.

“Can I come over?” he asked. “I just want to get out of the apartment for a while.”

“Sure,” Stephen replied through a yawn. “Want me to pick you up?”

William hesitated for a moment. “...If that’s alright,” he decided.

“I’ll be there in fifteen, then,” Stephen said, letting out a small grunt as he sat up in his bed. “See you soon, alright?”

“Alright,” William agreed, before softly adding, “Thank you… see you soon.”

“Sure thing,” Stephen answered, a smile evident in his voice.

Stephen sent William a text when he got there and waited outside by his bike. When he caught sight of William, he walked over to meet him with a light kiss to his forehead. William smiled and pulled Stephen into a grateful hug, hiding his face in the other’s shoulder as he took a quick moment to collect himself. When he pulled back, he looked up and quickly prompted, “So, let’s go?” 

“Yeah, for sure,” Stephen replied. He placed his helmet on top of William’s head before they both got on his bike to head back to Stephen’s place.

Despite the lack of inconveniences to his morning, William was anxious for most of the ride there. When they entered Stephen’s apartment, though, he felt cut off enough from his worries that the anxiety was mostly gone. He focused instead on Stephen, who kicked off his boots and went over to the couch to collapse on top of it with a sigh.

After setting aside his own shoes, William went over to claim the small space left on the couch for himself. He sat down and looked to Stephen, saying, “Sorry for the impromptu wake-up.”

“Don't worry about it,” Stephen chuckled lowly. He shifted on the couch, moving up so his head rested on William’s lap. “I’m happy to have you around.”

As Stephen resettled, William reached over to play with his hair. “Were you up late last night?”

Stephen closed his eyes contentedly as William’s fingers ran through his hair. “Yeah… I went out drinking with some friends from work.” 

That piqued William’s interest a bit. “You’re close to your coworkers, then?”

“Well, many of us have been working together for decades,” Stephen said back. “So you could say we’re pretty close.”

“Wow…” William voiced, a little surprised. “Decades, huh? How long have you been at that job?”

Stephen let out a breath, opening his eyes wide at the question. “Oh, man, how long has it been? Uh…” He tapped his finger to his lips in thought. “I started in eighty-six, so…”

“So about thirty years,” William counted. Then he chuckled, “I guess it would be weird if you weren’t all close.”

Stephen let out a laugh. “Yeah. They’re pretty much the closest friends I have.”

A silent moment passed as William absently pinched strands of Stephen’s hair between his fingers. “You know, I’ve never really asked - what is your job?”

“I work for the Bureau of Arcane Peace,” Stephen answered, looking up at William.

William stilled, looking down at Stephen and catching his eyes. “...Really?” he voiced, taken off guard. “Wow, I had no idea… No wonder your work schedule is so all over the place.”

“It’s got its upsides and downsides,” Stephen sighed. “I like that I get a ton of time off, but it’s always a little tough dropping everything at a moment’s notice to disappear for who knows how long.”

“It does seem difficult,” William agreed, familiar with the type of work the Bureau tended to do. “Do you like your work, though?”

Stephen let out a weak chuckle. “It’s a living.”

William frowned a bit at the non-response. "Sure, but is that all?"

“I like the people that I work with, and it pays well,” Stephen said back. “And I’ve been doing it for so long.”

"Those don't really sound like reasons for joining the Bureau, though," William noted. "They sound more like reasons for staying."

Stephen averted his gaze, holding a careful, small smile. “Well… I had an in.”

William noticed the other's slight change in demeanor, and was almost hesitant to broach with another question. Still, he asked, "An in? Like… a relative in the Bureau?"

“Let’s call her a friend,” Stephen said. “She offered me a position.”

"Was it your only option at the time?"

Stephen stayed quiet for a moment. “Yeah.”

William tilted his head a bit, just seeing if he could catch Stephen's gaze again. "What about now?"

“I’m not really skilled in anything else,” Stephen answered with a shrug. He paused, looking like he was about to say something else. Whatever was on his mind, though, he pushed it away and looked up at William with a smile. “This topic is probably pretty boring, huh?”

William could tell Stephen was now trying to avoid the subject, but he didn’t point it out. “Why don’t you tell me about what else you did this week, then?”

“Took care of some boring paperwork stuff, caught up with a friend I hadn’t talked to in a while…” Stephen hummed quietly. “Just keeping busy, I guess. What about you?”

“Um…” William looked away, considering the most truthful way he could answer. “Well… the same, really. Just busy.”

“Fair enough,” Stephen said. “...I hate when things get quiet like this.”

William turned his attention to him again. “Do you mean… when nothing’s going on?”

“Yeah,” Stephen muttered, looking off. “I always feel like when things get quiet, something big is coming. Something good or something bad, I dunno, but  _ something _ . So I just want it to happen already.”

“...You think so?” William questioned, very aware of the strange certainty in Stephen’s words. “Can’t quiet just… stay quiet?”

“Not with me, it doesn't,” Stephen said with a laugh despite himself.

Stephen didn’t elaborate, and William didn’t expect him to, either. To deal with the quiet, instead, they began to go through other movies on Stephen’s shelf that William hadn’t seen himself yet. During a lull in one of them, William began going through a larger number of notifications on his phone.

Stephen glanced over when he heard William’s phone buzz several times in a row. “Damn, someone’s really blowing up your phone,” he snickered.

William chuckled back. “My brothers,” he replied, slowly going through his messages. “Apparently they had a cooking contest, and they’re sending me a lot of pictures from it.”

“That sounds fun,” Stephen said with a small smile. “They all live near each other?”

"They live with our parents," William answered, then looking up from his phone.

“Oh, okay.” Stephen chuckled when William’s phone went off in rapid succession again. “They seem fun.”

William sighed a bit as he set his phone to silent, but he smiled afterwards. "Yeah… they are. You'd probably get along well with them."

“I’d hope so,” Stephen replied. “I’d like to make a good impression.”

William absorbed Stephen's words, and really thought about it. It was something else he put off, because having Stephen meet his family would get complicated. He did want it to happen, but not before he could muster up the courage to talk to Stephen about the more private details of his life.

"I really think you will," William affirmed, reaching over to lay a hand on Stephen's. "The next time I go back to visit… maybe you could go with me?"

Stephen looked a little surprised, but his face lit up. “Yeah?”

William nodded. "Yeah… if you're able to."

“I’ll try my best to,” Stephen said back, smiling brightly.

With an optimistic smile, William squeezed Stephen's hand. "I look forward to introducing you."

William stayed over at Stephen's apartment for the entirety of the day. When the day turned into the late evening, he more frequently checked the time until he really felt he was overstaying. He was reluctant to leave, but he tried to hide it.

"I should probably get back," William said. "It's pretty late now."

Stephen looked up from his phone. “Oh, am I keeping you from something?”

"Well… no," William said back. "But I've been here all day, and I came over pretty early. I don't want to keep you up."

“You’re not really keeping me up,” Stephen said back. “I like your company.” After a moment, he averted his eyes. “But if you really wanna go home, I can take you.”

William wrung his fingers together. "I don't really… want to go," he admitted. "But I'd feel bad making you drive me back late into the night."

Stephen looked back at William. “...You could always stay the night.”

William was surprised by the invitation. He had never stayed over before. After thinking back to what might be waiting for him at home, he eventually said, "...is that alright?"

Stephen gave an amused smile. “I’m the one that offered.”

William smiled back shyly. "Okay then. I'd like that."

“You wanna borrow some clothes to sleep in?” Stephen asked.

"I'd appreciate that," William chuckled. "Um, where will I be sleeping?"

“Wherever you want,” Stephen said with a shrug. “My bed’s pretty comfortable.”

William blushed a bit, and nodded. "That sounds good… thank you."

Stephen stood up from the couch. “I’ll get you some PJ’s.”

After getting dressed more comfortably, William joined Stephen in his bedroom.

William could count on one hand the times he had taken a glance into Stephen’s room, though he never actually entered. Stephen tended to keep the living room as his lounging and socializing area, since that’s where he kept everything that was entertaining. His room was very much  _ his _ space, but it didn’t show much of his interests.

There was very little decoration. There were only two picture frames hung up on the wall above the dresser, which was covered with a clutter of random objects and empty glasses. At the foot of the bed in front of the closet, an open suitcase was overflowing with clean clothes he never got around to putting away. The window above the bed was shrouded with red blackout curtains. The bed’s dark blue blankets were unmade.

William took a second glance at the photographs in the frames, which were the first he had ever seen from his every visit to Stephen's apartment. They were in matching black frames with silver accents that tried their best to gleam through the thin layer of dust. One was of a family, smiling next to the sign outside of a national park. The other was of a pair of siblings, posing in cheaply made Halloween costumes. The photos were obviously very old, creased down their middles and worn at the edges where they met the frame. The young man in both of the photos was clearly Stephen, but younger.

William glanced over his shoulder to Stephen. "... Is this your sister?" He carefully asked.

Stephen looked over at William, his eyes then landing on the photos. He gave a small smile. “Yeah, that’s her. Mel.”

"You look very cute together," William said with another look at the photo, before turning away.

Stephen chuckled lightly. “Thanks.” He turned away and took a moment to take off his jeans and replace them with sweatpants. William sat down on one side of the bed as Stephen redressed, trying not to glance over too obviously and checking his phone. After Stephen took a moment to plug his phone onto its charger and turned on a loop of white noise, he turned off the light and got comfortable on the other side of the bed. He let out a sigh, looking up at William with a soft smile as he rested his head on one of the pillows.

William laid down and joined him, a little flustered as he did so. They cuddled together on the couch pretty often, but sleeping together seemed a lot more intimate. He also realized it had been many years since he shared a bed with anyone.

Despite his shyness about it, the truth was that he really needed Stephen's company in that moment. He moved closer, and settled down once their faces were only inches apart. Stephen searched William’s face for a moment, before smiling and letting his eyes close as he let out another quiet sigh. When the white noise became a distant lull, William also closed his eyes and tried to find some rest.

Just when it seemed Stephen was nearly asleep, he slowly reached out and gently wrapped his arm around William’s shoulders. He shifted closer, pulling the other against his chest and nuzzling his hair with a hum. William's heart fluttered at the warm embrace, and he immediately returned it. All the leftover tension in his body went slack, sapped away as he snuggled more closely into Stephen's arms. Eventually, the days of exhaustion finally took their toll, and he fell asleep.

They slept in well into the morning, tangled up with each other and pulling the blankets up over their faces to shut out the small bit of bright sunlight that managed to peek around the borders of the curtains. They were content and unbothered, perfectly comfortable. Until a knock was heard from the front door.

They ignored it at first, until they heard it again. Stephen grumbled quietly, carefully pulling away from William so he wouldn't disturb him too much. “I’ll get it,” he muttered, letting out a yawn as he stretched his arms and left the bedroom to go to the front door.

There was another knock before he answered it. Standing on the other side was a man and a woman, neither of whom Stephen recognized. After giving them a second glance he had a vague feeling of something off about them, but it wasn't initially obvious.

The two looked at him in barely concealed surprise, and looked past him for a moment. "Are you the owner of this residence?" one asked.

“Um… yes,” Stephen answered, shaking his head a bit to drive away his sleepiness. “Can I help you with something?”

The two strangers glanced at each other, then the man said, "Yes. We were informed that we could find William… Mills here. Is he around?"

Stephen leaned against the doorframe. “Who told you that?”

"That's private information," the woman interjected. "Please answer the question. This is important business."

Stephen let out a breath, not liking the woman’s tone. “I’ll call him and let him know you’re looking for him.”

"That's not necessary," the man then said, folding his arms. "If he's not here, we'll be on our way. Thank you."

"Thank you," the woman rejoindered, a bit more tightly.

“...No problem.” Stephen looked between them one last time, before giving them a friendly smile as he shut the door between them.

Pursing his lips as he thought over the interaction, he walked his way back into his bedroom to crawl back into bed next to William. When he returned, William sleepily smiled at him and pulled him back under the covers.

"Do you usually get visitors this early?" William asked through a yawn.

“Not really,” Stephen answered, his voice a little uneasy. “It was actually… really weird. They were looking for you.”

William jolted, and a little more awake, asked, "Who was looking for me?"

“I didn't ask for their names,” Stephen answered. “They just asked if you were here, and I told them I’d call you about it.”

"Did they say anything else?" William questioned, fully sitting up.

“Not really.” Stephen sat up, sensing the sudden urgency. “Do you know who that could have been?”

William bit his lip, still considering the fact that they found him here. "Um… maybe. I guess so… did they leave? Are they coming back?"

“They left,” Stephen answered. He looked over William again. “Is something wrong?”

William straightened, and then forced himself to relax. "No, no. I mean… if they left, it's fine."

Stephen looked back toward the door. “...Do you mind telling me who they were? In case they come back. I don’t wanna tell them where you are if you don’t want me to.”

For a moment, William just stared at his hands. Then he pressed a palm over one side of his face, half-hiding his expression. "They're… representatives from a college I went to in the Fae Realm."

“And what do they want from you now?” Stephen asked further.

"They just… want me to go back," William answered, shrugging a shoulder.

Stephen pursed his lips. “...And you’ve told them no, I’m assuming.”

"Well… yes," William replied, then adding, "They were just making sure I didn't change my mind, I guess."

“...And they’re coming to  _ my  _ apartment looking for you.”

William wasn't sure what sort of response he could give that wouldn't make the situation seem more concerning. "... They probably won't come back."

Stephen stayed quiet for a moment. “...Alright.”

Although Stephen didn't say anything further, William could physically feel questions hanging in the air. "I… should get dressed," he suddenly said, pushing off the bed covers.

Stephen watched as William got up and started changing, before averting his eyes when he realized he was staring. “You wanna go home?”

William paused, delaying his response with folding up the sleepwear Stephen gave him. "Yeah… I should head back."

“I’ll take you home, then,” Stephen said, getting up from the bed as well and starting to change his own clothes.

When Stephen finished and they headed out, William kept a wary eye out for the fae. He really didn't want them realizing he'd been around and making a reappearance there.

Stephen drove him home on his bike and walked him to the front door of his building. When they got there, he leaned up against the wall next to the door, tucking his hands into his jacket pockets. “Is there anything you need from me before I go?”

William shook his head, glancing up at him. "No… just staying over yesterday was good… I had a lot of fun."

Stephen pulled his hand out of his pocket to run it through William’s hair, letting it linger at his cheek. “If you think of anything else, just ask.”

William leaned into the touch, and wrapped Stephen into a quick hug. He smiled with a bit of barely concealed emotion. "Thank you. I appreciate it."

Stephen returned the embrace and left a kiss on William’s forehead. “Love you, Will.”

When Stephen leaned back, William pressed up to give him a softer kiss on the lips. "I love you, too… Stephen."

Stephen smiled, stepping back in the direction of his bike. “See you later.”

William watched him go with a reluctant wave goodbye. He sighed to himself, knowing he had missed an opportunity to explain what was going on. But he just didn't have the courage to go through with it.

Suddenly stuck feeling uneasy again, despite the day of reprieve, William headed back to his own apartment.


	10. Confiding, Again

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He looked ahead, slowly drawing in a breath. "Hey, Stephen," he then spoke out.  
> Stephen gave William a curious look. “Yeah?”  
> "Um… there's something I need to talk to you about," William said, thinking through his words. "Before you visit my family."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> uh oh!!!!!

The visits from the fae persisted, and William questioned how to best deal with it. An idea occurred to him a week later, when Stephen let him know he had to take off for work again. He decided to get away from the city and spend a long visit back home with his family. It gave him the opportunity to deal with other personal matters.

William had told his brothers about Stephen, but it was different talking about it in person than over the phone. He endured their questioning and teasing, but they also pried for William's genuine feelings about the relationship. William wasn't bothered about the attention, knowing the concern came from not knowing much about Stephen. He was sure they would feel differently when they got to know him.

The matter of when obviously came up, especially when William admitted the reason for his sudden visit. It didn't come up easily for either him or his brothers. Even presently, they tended to avoid directly speaking about the circumstances of their childhood. But William found it necessary to deal with that barrier. If he couldn't speak to them about it, how would he ever be able to bring it up to Stephen?

They told him what he already expected to hear, that it was a conversation he really needed to have. What wasn't easy to hear was that it needed to be had sooner than later. David even took him aside afterwards, pointing out that he was only making himself feel guilty for avoiding the subject so long. He didn't say he had to talk about it  _ yet _ , but he did say William should just admit there was something he couldn't talk about yet.

Despite the heavy talk, William liked his time back home. But after a couple weeks, he found himself missing his friends back in the city more than he expected. He was also starting to miss the city itself, but mostly, he missed Stephen. William sometimes found himself feeling jealous of his brothers, whose friends and significant others had long been known to the rest of the family. They were also already quite aware of their childhood circumstances.

After three weeks, when William finally headed back to the city, he thought over and over about what he'd do once Stephen came back. He had one last week to think about it, until Stephen finally called him.

“Will, I’m back!” Stephen said as soon as William answered. “I wanna see you again.”

William smiled at the sound of Stephen's voice and the genuineness of his words. "Hey Stephen, did you just get back?" he asked, noticing the time. It was a bit later in the day. "I can come over right now. I want to see you, too."

“Yeah, I just got back,” Stephen answered, rustling with something in the background. “I’ll come get you. I can’t wait to see you.”

Giddily, William replied, "I'll be waiting, just let me know when you're here. And drive safe, okay? Don't break any speed limits."

Stephen chuckled. “I’ll try not to. See you soon.”

Stephen arrived within twenty minutes, waiting by the front door of William’s apartment building. As soon as William stepped outside, Stephen pulled him into a tight hug, kissing the side of his head. William happily returned the embrace, squeezing the other warmly.

"I'm really glad you're here..." William mumbled, giving Stephen a soft look. "It always feels like ages since I've last seen you."

“This is only the second time I’ve left like this,” Stephen chuckled.

William blushed, and then admitted, "I meant in general."

Stephen gave William a fond look, running his hand through the other’s hair as he kissed his forehead. “I missed you, too.”

William leaned into Stephen's arms, just breathing his presence in for a moment. He sighed lightly, then asked, "Where are we going? Back to your apartment?"

“How about we get some snacks and go to the park?” Stephen asked with a smile. “It’s starting to warm up, so it’s a nice day.”

William nodded, and they began to head over to Stephen's bike. "I like that idea. I haven't been to the park in a while."

“Perfect.” Stephen handed William his helmet and they headed off to a gas station with a convenience store to pick up snacks. After they made their selections, they went off to the park.

It was the same park they had been to before together, but it was a lot more lively with families having picnics and kids playing on the structures. They managed to claim an empty picnic table to set out their snacks.

As William opened his can of tea, he looked out at the playground. "This is nice. It's usually so quiet here."

“I love seeing all the people,” Stephen agreed, opening a bag of chips. “But I can’t decide whether I like being here at night or in the day more.”

"I guess that depends on if you feel like being alone or not," William replied.

“That’s true,” Stephen said with a nod. He leaned his elbow on the table, resting his cheek on his hand and quietly watching William.

Eventually, William's eyes found their way back to Stephen. He gave him an amused smile, and opened a snack bag as well. "Do you know how long you'll be off work?" he asked.

“I can never really say,” Stephen said back with a small frown. “I could have anywhere between two weeks and two months, usually.”

"Oh... so a pretty sporadic timeframe," William noted.

“Yeah, it’s a little hard to make big plans,” Stephen said with a bitter chuckle. “Everything I do has to be a little impulsive.”

"Well… I was asking because I wanted to know when the best time to introduce you to my family would be."

Stephen straightened up a bit. “Oh! Well, whenever you’d like.”

William smiled. "It's a long trip over so it would be longer than a day visit."

“That’s fine,” Stephen said, returning with a beaming smile. “I’d love to meet them.”

"Great! I'll let you know when I know the date," William replied, before starting to eat one of his snacks.

Stephen picked a chip out of his bag. “I look forward to it.”

They stayed at the park for a few hours, just chatting and enjoying each other's company. William mentioned that he visited his family while Stephen was away, and talked about a few things he did together with them. Stephen was interested to hear all about it.

“They sound like a lot of fun to hang out with,” Stephen commented.

William chuckled, looking off a bit. "They do make sure I'm never too bored while I'm there. We're always trying different things."

“I’m glad you have such great siblings.” Stephen looked toward the playground. His expression was soft.

With a thoughtful nod, William regarded Stephen again. He noticed the look on his face. "... I am, too," he agreed.

They stayed at the park until sometime past when it became vacant of other people. Stephen and William spent some time on the swings now that the children were gone.

Stephen looked over at William with a small smile. “Hey, William…”

William glanced back to him. "Yeah?"

“Do you think your family will like me? Sorry to go back to an old topic, but I was wondering…”

"No, it's okay," William reassured, stopping the motion of his swing. "I do think they will like you. My brothers may or may not give you a bit of a hard time, but they're just like that sometimes."

Stephen let out a sigh. “That’s good to know.”

William smiled at his relief, and a short quiet passed between them. The thought of his brothers, Stephen, and the silence between them then reminded him of something he had yet to do. And if he really wanted Stephen to see his family before the next time he left, now was the best time for it.

He looked ahead, slowly drawing in a breath. "Hey, Stephen," he then spoke out.

Stephen gave William a curious look. “Yeah?”

"Um… there's something I need to talk to you about," William said, thinking through his words. "Before you visit my family."

“What is it?”

William folded his hands together in his lap. "Well… my family situation is… somewhat complicated. I've never really said it all out loud. Um… I'm not very sure where to start."

Stephen slowed his swinging, giving William more of his attention. “Start anywhere, I guess.”

"...Okay," William mumbled. "It… doesn't really explain a lot, but… I guess the easiest thing to mention first is that my brothers and I are all adopted. We're still related to each other, but our parents adopted us."

“Okay,” Stephen said with a small nod.

After a calming breath, William continued. "We were first adopted when we were very young. Our… biological parents were human, and… after our magic came in, we couldn't stay with them."

At that, Stephen looked curious. “Were you all turned?”

"No, no, it wasn't like that," William answered with a shake of his head. "It was like… well, it was like how most magical children manifest their magic. Except... it happened all at once for us, and it was different for each of us. But it wasn't a turning."

“...But your parents were human?” Stephen’s expression turned to one of confusion.

"Okay, this is the really complicated part," William said. He paused briefly, then turned to Stephen with a question. "Do you… know anything about the Regents of the realms?"

Stephen looked up in thought. “I feel like I’ve heard of that before…”

"Well… maybe you'd recognize them more from their individual names. They're called the Shade Monarch, the Great Leviathan, and the Phoenix."

“Oh, yeah, I’ve heard of those,” Stephen said back, turning his gaze back at William.

William nodded absently, expecting as much. "They're pretty… different from other creatures in their realm, even the ones they resemble the most. There's only ever one of each, and they… disappear and reappear over time."

“...And how’s this relate to your magic?”

"Well…" William trailed off, hesitant. Then he continued. "The last time they reappeared, they actually…  _ manifested _ instead."

Stephen seemed to piece the information together in his head. “Oh, I see. So, you and your brothers are…”

"...Yeah," William simply said.

“So, the university…”

William sighed. "They  _ really _ want me to stay in the Fae Realm and fill the same position as the last Phoenix. I almost did… but I decided to leave."

“Why won’t they leave you alone?” Stephen asked, sounding a little agitated. “You said no.”

"I guess… the fae have a hard time not thinking of me as the other Phoenix," William said back, kicking some of the wood chips underneath them. "They're very, um… attached to her." Stephen hummed in understanding, looking off. When he didn't say anything, William gave him a worried look. "Does this… change anything?"

Stephen immediately shook his head. “Not at all. I mean, I’m a little surprised,” Stephen said with a short chuckle, before looking at William with a small smile. “But no, it doesn’t change anything.”

"So… we're okay?" William pressed further. "You still want to meet my family?"

“Of course,” Stephen answered, reaching out a hand toward William.

William responded with a wobbly smile as he took Stephen's hand. His throat suddenly felt tight, and he was a little overwhelmed from the immediate relief. "Thank you," he just barely managed to say.

“Hey,” Stephen said gently, giving William’s hand a squeeze. “Nothing you tell me could change anything. Unless you tell me you killed someone or something.”

Despite the tears pricking at his eyes, William snorted. "No, no, I haven't done that."

“Then we’re okay,” Stephen said with a smile. “I’ll love you no matter what.”

William returned the squeeze to Stephen's hand. "Stephen… I really love you, too."

Stephen stood up from his swing, turning to face William. “How about we head to my place?”

"Okay, I'd like that," William agreed, getting up.

They made their way back to Stephen’s apartment, and upon walking in, Stephen glanced over at William. “Do you have somewhere you need to be in the morning?”

"Oh… not really. Are you inviting me to stay over?"

“Yeah,” Stephen said with a smile. “If that’s okay.”

William smiled back, leaning over to lightly brush up to Stephen's side. "Yeah. I'll stay."

Stephen wrapped his arm around William’s shoulders, leaving a kiss on his forehead. “Awesome. Do you want some comfy clothes?”

William tucked his head into Stephen's shoulder. "Yes, please."

Stephen led William into his room and picked out some sweatpants and a tee shirt for William to wear, before handing them over. William took them and turned away to change, leaving his own clothes on top of Stephen's dresser. Stephen took a moment to change as well, pulling clothes out of the suitcase on the floor by the bed.

When he finished, William came up from behind him and wrapped his arms loosely around Stephen's waist. "So, what do you want to do? TV, or something else?"

Stephen smiled and turned around to wrap his arms around the other as well. “Maybe we can snuggle up. I’ve missed you a lot.”

With a chuckle, William looked up to Stephen and replied, "That sounds perfect."

Stephen got comfortable on his bed, before patting the space on the mattress next to him. William scooted over and curled up beside him, taking Stephen's hand to kiss his knuckles and pull him in. With a sigh, Stephen wrapped his arm around William’s waist.

“I’m so glad to be back,” Stephen murmured.

William nodded against him in agreement. "I hope you do get to stay for a while."

“I hope so, too,” Stephen said with another sigh. “I’m pretty tired out.”

William turned a bit more to face the other, and reached up to brush some hair away from Stephen's face. "Yeah, I think you deserve the break."

Stephen smiled softly, pulling William closer to press a kiss to his lips. “I’m already enjoying it.”

Chuckling with a kiss in return, William said, "You're such a charmer."

Stephen laughed lightly, before locking their lips in another kiss, one of his hands traveling upward to stroke through William’s hair. William hummed in response, cupping Stephen's face as the kiss deepened. He kept him close, just relishing their physical contact.

After a long string of kisses and lingering touches, Stephen’s hands wandered toward places they had only hinted at before. In the moment, William barely realized it. But as they persisted, and William began to feel the sweet haze in his mind pool into his body, he suddenly shied and stilled.

Immediately, Stephen pulled his hands away to rest at William’s sides. “Sorry…”

William blushed at Stephen's prompt reaction, and took a moment to relax. "No no, it's okay!" he reassured, then sighing. "I… I just got a bit embarrassed."

Stephen gave William a fond smile, pressing a kiss to the top of his head. “Do you want to go any further? We don’t have to if you don’t want to.”

"... I want to go further," William replied, quietly. He wrapped his arms around Stephen's shoulders. "It's just… well…"

“Just what?” Stephen pressed.

William glanced away a bit. "I haven't ever… gotten this far with someone before. So…"

“ _ Oh _ .” Stephen averted his gaze for a moment, before looking back at William with a small smile. “I’ll go really slow, okay?”

Smiling back gratefully, William replied, "Okay. Thank you."

Stephen, staying true to his promise, did go slowly. He didn’t venture into new territory immediately — he kissed and touched him gently, familiarly, until the words they just shared weren’t so loud in William’s head. Stephen kept a patient, steady pace, always watching William’s reactions whenever he tried something new and pushed things further. He always asked permission before trying something that might be too surprising. As he explored, he left gentle, loving kisses along William’s body with a carefulness that gave William a much needed sense of security. It felt easy, in the beginning.

As things progressed, though, William found himself less certain about what to do. But Stephen never made him feel anxious about it. Stephen didn’t really expect William to do anything beyond making what Stephen was doing a little easier. He guided him along, speaking directions and plenty of reassurances to him in a soft, quiet voice. Stephen focused on William completely.

It wasn't easy to ignore every insecurity. William couldn't help but notice the gap in their experience, how he hesitated in every moment that Stephen did not. He tried hard to brush over it, especially when he noticed Stephen sometimes pausing to just look at him. He was certain every feeling and conflicting thought showed on his expression. But Stephen waited patiently for every green light before he pressed beyond boundaries they had never crossed over before. It was so shockingly new, being so known.

Stephen eased them both forward, making sure William knew he was enjoying this just as much as he hoped William was, too. He let himself be heard, holding William tighter and leaving hot kisses on his skin between his breaths. William was surprised by how receptive Stephen was to even his barest reactions. That was when he realized it — he wasn’t the only one being slowly unraveled, being exposed. Stephen was also giving himself over to him.

William took in each and every one of Stephen’s reactions. And once he began doing that, he was actually able to lose himself in the intimacy of the passing moments.

When they were left spent with racing hearts, Stephen collapsed onto the bed next to his partner, letting out a contented sigh. He pressed kisses to William’s cheek, holding him close. Still catching his breath, William simply absorbed Stephen's affections. After a short quiet passed, he turned to nuzzle into Stephen's shoulder.

Stephen kissed the top of William’s head, smiling to himself. “Love you, Will.”

William turned his gaze up to Stephen. Despite having kissed him so many times that night, he suddenly felt an intense desire to do so again. And he did. "I love you, too, Stephen. I love you so much."


	11. Home Reminds Us

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Hey everyone," William said, tucking his arm under Stephen's. "Um, so, I guess I should do some introductions… This is Stephen, my boyfriend."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> we're pushing updates to fridays because we keep fucking doing this

When Stephen picked William up to head off to where they would take off, he was obviously in a fairly odd state. He spoke in short responses, seeming distracted. It was unlike anything William had ever seen in Stephen. At first, William worried that maybe he didn't want to visit his family after all. But he thought back to how happy Stephen had initially been, and realized it might be something else.

As they got off Stephen's bike, William asked him, "Are you nervous?"

Stephen looked at William with surprise, as if forced out of his thoughts. “Huh? Oh, uh…” He averted his gaze, smiling hesitantly. “A little…”

"Well… I'm also nervous," William admitted. "But not about them not liking you."

Stephen glanced back over at William. “What are you nervous about?”

"... I'm nervous that they might reveal something embarrassing about me." 

Stephen let out a chuckle. “Like what?”

William poked Stephen in the chest. "No changing the subject," he chided. "Stephen, you're a really good person. I like you a lot, and I'm not the only one. You have a lot of friends who like you, too. My family won't be so different."

Stephen let out a sigh, looking off. “I hope so.”

William knew he could only reassure Stephen so much, so he didn't press further. Instead, he took Stephen's hand to lead him towards a takeoff point with more space. "You'll see."

They grabbed their bags and took off toward the East. They took some rest stops, and each time they did, William saw more of Stephen’s hesitation. The closer they got to their destination, the more off he was acting. William began to wonder if there was more to his attitude than uneasiness.

When they arrived in Maine after many hours of flight, William directed them to a relatively secure clearing some distance away from his family home. They would have to walk the rest of the way to the house in the woods, but William thought the last moment of reprieve would help Stephen with whatever he was going through.

When they both shifted back into their human forms in the clearing, Stephen’s face was visibly red. He crossed his arms over his chest, taking in a slow breath. William stared at him in shock, and rushed over.

"Stephen, what's wrong?" he questioned, a bit frantic. "Are you sick? What happened?"

“What? Nothing, I’m fine,” Stephen answered quickly. He averted his eyes, giving a short laugh. “I’m just…”

William fanned Stephen's face. "Just what? That looked like the opposite of fine."

Stephen chuckled, pulling at the neckline of his tee shirt. “Nothing, nothing! I’m just… I’m nervous, is all.”

After a moment of staring at Stephen with obvious concern, William said, "...Maybe we should just sit for a moment."

“No, no, I’m fine. Really.” Stephen took in another slow breath, before shaking his head and giving a smile. “See? I’m fine.”

Although a bit uncertain, William mumbled, "...Alright. If you're sure."

Stephen ran a hand through his hair with a sigh. “We still have a bit of a walk, so I promise, I’ll be fine.”

At Stephen's insistence, William eventually began to lead the both of them through a natural forest trail between the trees. It was a twenty minute walk, and William made use of the time to hold Stephen's hand and hopefully ease him a bit. He also began imagining just how the introduction could go down now, just hoping his partner wouldn't get too overwhelmed.

When they arrived, it took Stephen a moment to see the house. It was overshadowed by a large oak tree towering over the entirety of the clearing. There was also a much smaller willow tree, out of place in these woods, slowly claiming a pond on the clearing's opposite side. The house, some ways off from the larger tree's base, was a large stone and wood cabin. As William took him closer, a plant garden surrounding the house also came into view.

Stephen took a look around, smiling a bit as he gave William’s hand a small squeeze. “How long did you live here?”

"Oh… well, not very long," William answered, with a bit of a sad smile. He stopped near the house, just a ways off from the front door. "Just a couple years."

“I’m pretty jealous of those couple of years, not gonna lie,” Stephen said with a chuckle.

William chuckled a bit, and took a moment to point at the trees. "That's my mother's tree, Lindee," he said, indicating the oak. "The willow tree is my sister's - she calls her Naera."

Stephen looked at them with curiosity in his eyes. “Are they fae? Your mother and sister, I mean.”

William chuckled. "Yes, they're both dryads. This is a fire-free zone, by the way."

“Oh, good.” Stephen took a glance toward the house, before looking at William with a nervous smile. “Is… everyone here?”

William thought for a moment. "My family definitely is… and some of their friends might be. Would you just like to meet a few of them first?"

“No, it’s fine,” Stephen waved off. “I’ll be fine.”

"... Okay." William paused, and then continued to lead Stephen to the front door. "Well, you know, you've already made a good impression on two of them."

Stephen looked at William with a curious smile. “Oh?”

William smiled back at him. "I count Lindee and Naera."

Once they reached the doorstep of the large house, William remembered he was also somewhat nervous. Still, he tried not to hesitate, because he was sure it wouldn't help Stephen feel anymore confident. He was also sure that his family already knew they were there. If he prolonged things any further, some of them might just come out themselves.

He knocked on the door, and stepped back to stand by Stephen. Stephen held onto his hand, taking in a steady breath. After a moment, they heard footsteps from behind the door, and it was slowly opened for them.

William was relieved when he saw his parents standing on the other side. Of his family members, they were probably the best to start with, somewhat more mild to the rest. His adoptive father, Lucian, was particularly soft-spoken and subdued, much like William himself. It was a distinctive personality contrast to other shades. Only his bright orange irises really gave his true nature away. His mother Avila, on the other hand, was much warmer and a bit more excitable. She loved hugs and loud laughter.

"William! You're finally here!" Lucian greeted, looking happily relieved. "It's good to see the flight went alright."

"Hello Pa, Ma," William replied, his words tinged with the hint of an old drawl. "I'm home?"

“I’m so glad you are,” Avila said with a bright smile, bringing William into a hug. As she pulled away, she looked over at Stephen. “And you must be Stephen. We’re happy to have you.”

Stephen returned the smile, holding his hand out. “It’s a pleasure.”

“Oh, how polite,” Avila commented, taking Stephen’s hand to shake it.

"We've heard a lot about you," Lucian commented, reaching to shake Stephen's hand next. "Good things, don't worry."

William glanced past his parents, but didn't see anyone else near the entryway. "Who's here right now?"

Lucian chuckled. "Basically everybody. Your mother managed to corral them all together, though."

“They’re all in the living room, unless someone snuck off to the kitchen while I wasn't looking,” Avila added.

"I guess we'll find out," William replied, but figured they would've all been waiting once they heard the door. He turned to Stephen. "Ready?"

Stephen looked back at William with his usual friendly smile, though it looked a little more careful. “Yeah.”

Lucian and Avila let them in, and William led Stephen into the front room. It was the smallest room in his home, and from the not-too-far entryway into the living room they could hear barely muted bits of conversation. Deciding not to prolong things any further, William pulled Stephen into the living room ahead of his parents.

As Avila had said, everyone was gathered there, sitting on either one of two couches. His brothers, Abraham and David, sat together on one with Willow Mae, their attention already directed at the two of them when they walked in. Victor and his other brother, Francis, claimed space on the opposite one. Their curiosity was also obvious, but a lot more restrained in comparison.

"Hey everyone," William said, tucking his arm under Stephen's. "Um, so, I guess I should do some introductions… This is Stephen, my boyfriend."

After he said that, Abraham was the first to stand up. Everyone else followed his cue the moment afterwards. He walked up, loosely wrapping an arm around William's shoulder in a half-hug, and extended a hand to Stephen. "Hey. I'm Abraham, his older brother," he introduced shortly. Stephen recognized he was the shade of William's brothers.

“Good to meet you, Abraham,” Stephen said, taking his hand with a firm shake. “I’ve heard a lot about you.” He then regarded the other brothers in the room. “I’ve heard a lot about you, too.”

David came up next. "Really? That makes things easier. Do you know which one I am?"

"That's David," William whispered to him. David responded by reaching over to muss up his hair, and William batted him away.

Francis came up last alongside Victor, hanging back so they weren't overcrowding the group. "And that makes me Francis. Hi!" Willow Mae also stepped forward, giving a quiet wave.

“Great to meet you all,” Stephen said with a bright smile.

“How was your flight over here?” Victor asked.

"We managed it pretty well," William replied, letting go of Stephen for a moment to pull his youngest brother into a hug. He then chuckled a bit. "I am a little tired, though."

"Does that mean you'll take the shortcut back?" Abraham asked with a hint of a smirk.

"...Probably," William replied.

Stephen looked at William, narrowing his eyes but maintaining his playful smile. “You didn't tell me there was a shortcut. We flew all the way here.”

Feeling himself flush, William said, "I wanted to do the introductions all at once! Besides, I wanted to spread my wings for a bit."

"Is that code for something?" David asked mock-innocently, before getting elbowed by William.

“Well flights are always pretty nice,” Stephen relented, wrapping his arm around William’s shoulders and giving them a tight squeeze. “But shortcuts are just as good.”

"Okay, okay, we'll shortcut next time," William simply said, leaning into Stephen.

"Well, since everyone's here now," Lucian then spoke, "Why don't we get dinner started?"

“Everything’s already almost ready,” Avila said, gesturing for the brothers to follow. “I just need you boys to set the table.”

“I’ll help,” Victor volunteered, making his way over to the kitchen.

As the others followed, William said to Stephen, "Come on, the table's this way."

Dinner was a casual affair. They had to bring in an extra chair for the dining table, so one side was a bit more occupied than the other. A lot of food had to be served, and only once everyone had all their food on their own plate did any conversation really pick up.

"So, Stephen," Avila started. "What do you do for a living?"

Stephen perked up at the question. "Oh, I'm an agent for the Bureau of Arcane Peace."

"Arcane Peace? That's pretty vague, but I think I've heard of it," David commented. "What kind of stuff do they do?"

"Well, there are a few different branches, but I'm a hunting agent," Stephen answered. "I basically track down dangerous criminals."

William was surprised to learn that, but Abraham remarked on it first. "Really? On a scale of one to ten, how dangerous are they usually?"

Stephen chuckled a bit, looking off. "Uh... Depends. They can be anywhere from a five to an eight on most assignments."

"That sounds intense," Francis said.

"Damn Will, you didn't mention your boyfriend was a badass," David added. "I thought you would've started with that." 

William shrugged a bit. "Um, it's just not the first thing that comes to mind."

Stephen snickered. "I wouldn't call myself a badass."

"Sounds pretty badass to me," Willow said back.

"So, other than that, what other things do you do, Stephen?" Lucian asked. "William mentioned you were very into music."

Stephen nodded. "Yeah, I love music and concerts and stuff. I've seen some of the best bands live." He smiled a bit at the memories. "And I've got a pretty big album collection."

"Were you ever in a band?" Francis questioned with a grin.

"I was," Stephen laughed. "Back in high school, my friends and I had a little garage band. We never got any shows or anything, but we had fun."

David tapped his chin. "So let me get this straight. You had a band, and you catch hardcore criminals." He gave William an accusing look. "And the only things you've told us were that he was cute and dorky."

"What? I didn't say that," William retorted.

"You gushed about your cliche lunch dates and your Star Wars movie nights, so same thing," Abraham said back, before turning to Stephen. "Don't tell me - you have a motorcycle and sleeves of tattoos, too."

Stephen snickered. "I have a motorcycle, but no tattoos."

"Yeah, he's totally your type," David said to William. 

"Can we just go back to talking about music?" William muttered.

The rest of the day was spent with ample conversation, and even a few card games at the kitchen table. William’s family continually asked Stephen questions, and Stephen readily sated their curiosity. Eventually, late into the night, the family noted their tiredness from the day and excused themselves to go to sleep.

When Stephen and William entered the guest bedroom, Stephen let out a quiet breath and sat down on the edge of the bed. William sat down next to him, waiting a moment before he spoke.

"So," he began. "How was everything for you? A lot?"

“Oh, no, your family’s great,” Stephen answered, giving him a smile. “I had a great time.”

"Well… I'm glad, then. They're really important to me, so… I'm happy you like them." 

Stephen looked off, his smile shrinking a bit. “Yeah, I can see why you love them so much.”

William examined Stephen's expression, noticing the slight change. Then he looked down to where their hands lay inches apart, and reached closer to link his pinkie with Stephen's. "So, then… why does it look like you're thinking about something else?"

Stephen took William’s hand in his, letting out a small chuckle. “It’s nothing.”

"It doesn't seem like nothing..." William murmured. "You don't have to tell me exactly everything, Stephen… but I do want you to know you can talk to me."

Stephen was quiet for a long moment, seeming to piece together his words in his head. “...I don’t know exactly what I’m feeling. But… it’s-” He gestured toward himself, his expression one of struggle. “It’s a big feeling.”

"...Do you know why you're feeling it, maybe?" William asked gently.

“Well, even though I was having a lot of fun with your family…” Stephen let out a slow breath. It was trembling. “I just kept thinking of mine.”

William frowned sadly, realizing what it might have been. He slowly stroked Stephen's hand. "It sounds like you miss them," he said.

Stephen frowned, turning his head away. “I do… I miss them a lot.”

William wasn't quite sure what to say, at first. His instincts told him not to pry, but Stephen was so obviously affected by whatever thoughts he was running to. After some time, he asked, "When's the last time you saw them?"

“...1985.”

William's eyes widened. "Oh, Stephen… I'm so sorry." He squeezed Stephen's hand. "...what happened?"

Stephen bit his lip, trying to find his words. “Well… I nearly died. A mage was going around wreaking havoc, and he got to me. Before I died, though, a firebird — my boss now — used her blood to turn me.” He took in a shaky breath. “Because I was now magic, I was told to cut myself off from my family… to keep the secret.”

William could feel his frown deepen, and he had to bite his cheeks to keep it from showing too much. "How cut off are you..? Do you… at least get to know how they're doing?"

“I haven’t heard anything about them since I last saw them,” Stephen replied, before giving a bitter chuckle. “I actually swung by the old house once, back in ‘96, but there was a different family living there.”

"...Have you ever thought about trying to find them?" William leaned forward, trying to read Stephen's expression.

“I’ve thought about it…” Stephen fidgeted with the hem of his shirt. “But what would I even do? I can’t speak to them. I can’t let them see me.”

"I don't think it's right that you can't," William said, a touch of indignation in his voice. "But you could at least see them."

Stephen turned his head away. “...I feel like I wouldn’t be able to help myself. I can’t just stand there while they’re right there. And they’ll be… different from how I remember them. I’d just notice how much time’s gone by.”

Stephen's words brought back echoes of fears and worries that William himself had not so long ago. He saw Stephen sitting there, trying to hide his pain, and recalled being in that same position. He suddenly felt stricken by anger that Stephen, whom he loved very much, was being forced to feel like that. He didn't think it was fair.

"Stephen," William said. "I don't want to tell you what to do. But, can I share something with you?"

Stephen glanced over at the other. His eyes were gleaming with tears that he wouldn’t let fall. “...Yeah?”

"I spent half of my childhood separated from my family because other people told us it had to be that way," William told him. He kept his gaze steady on Stephen, despite his urge to look away with each word. "It was the most miserable time of my life. Things had changed so much for me in that time, that I thought we were too different to be family again." He put another hand on top of both of theirs, gently stroking the back of Stephen's hand. "And, honestly, things  _ were _ very different. But the fact that we were still family didn't change, and that mattered a lot more.

"It's a little hard not to think about all that lost time, sometimes... But no one deserves to be cut off from their family, especially for things they didn't choose to happen."

Stephen averted his gaze, taking in a steadying breath. “I’m just not sure. I’m…” He bit his lip, clenching his free hand into a fist. “I’m scared of it, honestly.”

"I know…" William voiced. "You don't have to take my word for things, because our situations aren't exactly the same. But I can tell that you feel upset about the way things are right now…"

“I’m sorry, I’m probably just making you upset talking about this,” Stephen said with a sigh.

William shook his head. "Of course I am, but not with you. I just wish I could do something to help you, but there's no easy, obvious answer."

Stephen let out a small chuckle. “Trust me, if there were an easy answer, I would have done it already.”

"I know… but, I do think that whatever ends up being what you need to do for  _ yourself _ is what you should do."

“...I’ll think about that.”

William lifted Stephen's hand, and pressed a kiss to his knuckles. "...Do you want to head to bed?"

Stephen nodded, giving William a small smile. “That sounds good.”

After they changed into their pajamas, William scooted back to one side of the bed, tugging Stephen over next to him. Stephen followed, letting himself be coaxed down to lie down next to William. After taking a moment to turn off the light by the bedside, he got himself comfortable before pulling the other close with a tight embrace. 

When Stephen seemed to have settled, William leaned in to press a kiss to his forehead. “Goodnight Stephen,” he said, reaching down to pull the bed covers over them.

Stephen returned the kiss to William’s lips. “Goodnight… I love you.”


	12. Closer and Closer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> One day, William and Stephen walked into Stephen’s apartment from going out to get lunch, when Stephen made a comment. “You might as well live here,” he said with a chuckle.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i really like this chapter

After the home visit, which lasted through the second day, William went back to the city with Stephen. With Abraham’s help, the trip back was much shorter, and William simply beared his gloating. Despite the initial fears that he had, that he was rushing things, William was glad with how well the visit turned out. The only thing that still troubled him afterwards was the personal history that Stephen had shared with him.

It had surprised him that Stephen was bearing such deep pains, and for so long. William did notice time and time again that Stephen kept private or quiet about certain things. But he thought it was more of Stephen trying to avoid a too-serious and awkward conversation.

The revelation changed William's perspective in some ways, but not negatively. William continued to see Stephen and visit him. He found himself preferring to stay with Stephen at times, even when the fae came to his apartment less and less. They continued to go out, watch movies together, and also engaged in some more intimate activities… But when they simply spent time with each other in private and talked, William regarded Stephen with new understanding. It wasn't one-sided, either.

Stephen seemed to understand William better, too. He approached him in a slightly different way, though it was subtle and easy to miss. He was more careful, but also a little more open with him. Despite always seeming to be in a good mood, Stephen let it show a little more when he was having an off day. 

Soon enough, though, their dates and time together took another temporary hiatus when Stephen had to go off on another job assignment. Stephen was even less enthusiastic about working than he was the last time, giving William plenty of hugs and kisses before he had to go. Now knowledgeable about the kind of work Stephen did, William worried when he left. He hoped, maybe, his job wasn't as dangerous as it sounded.

Stephen was gone much longer than he had been previously. The date for Victor and Francis's wedding eventually arrived, and William ended up going without being able to invite Stephen. It was a small affair, held privately with only family and a few close friends in attendance. William was very happy for both of them, especially his youngest brother.

"I'm pretty nervous, actually," Francis admitted to him and his other brothers, sometime before the ceremony. "I really don't want to mess something up and ruin the moment, you know?"

"Even if you mess up your vows a bit, I don't think that would be enough to ruin the day for either of you," William said back. "Would it?"

Francis thought about it for a moment, and grinned. "No. Today's already perfect, and we haven't even really gotten started yet."

From what William saw during the ceremony itself, it seemed there was no reason for Francis to worry about ruining his vows, anyway. They were so focused on each other, and hardly anyone else.

The reception felt like a family night, but with less games, a few more people, music, and dancing. William wasn't really alone, but at times he felt like he was. He was feeling that same jealousy he felt before he introduced Stephen to his family. As he watched everyone else interact with their friends or partners, he wished Stephen was there.

The thought occurred to him that this might be a frequent feeling. He felt this way back in the city sometimes, too, when he spent time with Ahyo and Rahasai, who were almost always together. They had told him that Stephen's long-term absences were regular for him. This was only the third time he left, and William was still thinking about it so strongly.

He felt guilty when he began thinking things would be more perfect if Stephen had a different line of work, instead.

This routine of Stephen coming back for some time, then leaving again, often missing things, continued for nearly a year. William always found himself missing Stephen, but Stephen always made sure to make the most of his time back home by spending as much time as possible giving William all sorts of affections. William was almost always out with Stephen or at his apartment when he wasn't working on his charms and selling them.

One day, William and Stephen walked into Stephen’s apartment from going out to get lunch, when Stephen made a comment. “You might as well live here,” he said with a chuckle.

The comment seemed to come out of nowhere, and William thought Stephen was just making a joke. "Oh, yeah?" he remarked lightly.

“You’re here all the time.” Stephen put down his helmet and backpack by the couch. “You even have some of your clothes in my dresser.”

"It's not like I can keep borrowing clothes every time I need them," William muttered in defense. "Do you think it's too much..? Or… was that a serious offer?"

Stephen looked over at William, holding a small smile. “It was a serious offer."

William thought for a long moment. He liked the idea, but it seemed like something he shouldn't decide too quickly. "Well, since it's a serious offer, let's have a serious talk about it. But I'm not against it."

Stephen walked over to William, taking his hands in his. “We can definitely talk about it.” William smiled back fondly, and stepped forward to kiss Stephen.

Stephen let out a sigh as he put the last box down on the floor of the living room. “Well, that’s the last of it. Now I just gotta unpack…”

After checking the hallway for any stray packages, William closed the front door to his apartment. "Sorting your movies back into place will be fun," he commented.

“That’s gonna be a whole project.” Stephen stretched his arms above his head. “We can get to that last.”

William chuckled, heading back towards the kitchen. As he passed Stephen, he stopped to press a kiss to his cheek. "Do you want a quick drink break before you start unpacking?"

“That sounds good,” Stephen said with a smile, catching William’s hand in his as he followed him to the kitchen.

William led him in and grabbed a couple canned drinks from the fridge. He handed one to Stephen before opening his. "Let's call this a toast to the move."

Stephen cracked his open before holding it up to tap against William’s. He took a sip and let out a sigh. “It’s a little weird… I lived in that apartment for a long time.”

"How long?" William asked, taking a sip from his own drink.

Stephen chuckled, averting his eyes. “I dunno… fifteen… maybe twenty years?”

"That is a long time," William agreed. "I felt pretty weird moving here, too. I think living with someone else will also be its own adjustment."

“I lived with Rahasai for a while, so having a roommate isn’t too foreign,” Stephen said, tapping his can with his fingertips.

"I could be a bad roommate," William said with a teasing smile.

Stephen snickered. “As long as you clean up after yourself, we won’t have an issue.”

It felt safe to say that Stephen was an important part of William's life now. Almost nothing felt better than his mornings waking up with the other right beside him. Sharing an apartment meant they shared a lot more now within that space. The main thing that was each separately their own was their work.

That reality eventually made itself clear. They made plans to go out on a special date, just the two of them. They had purchased tickets to go to a fair in town, one which William had never had a chance to experience.

Two days before they planned to go, Stephen and William were in the process of making lunch when Stephen’s phone rang from across the kitchen. Stephen set down the knife he was using to chop vegetables to go pick it up.

He looked down at the screen. “Oh, it’s my boss.”

William immediately looked over from the stove. He knew Stephen got calls from his job, but he had never been around for any of them. "Your boss?" he questioned. "Is something wrong..?"

“Let’s find out,” Stephen said back, before answering the call.

He spoke with his boss for a few minutes, tucking his free hand into his pocket. William tried not to listen, but it was difficult to ignore. Stephen kept a rather informal tone, but William could tell he was taking it seriously. When he finally hung up, he let out a small sigh.

"What is it?" William asked, turning off the stove.

Stephen looked over at William, his expression apologetic. “...I’m getting called in.”

"What? Right now?" He could hear a sharpness in his own tone, but he was so caught off guard he couldn't reign it in.

“I have to be at headquarters by tonight, so I have to leave within the next couple of hours,” Stephen answered, tucking his phone into his back pocket. “I should start packing.”

William bit his lip, wringing his hands. "You can't put it off? I mean… we had plans coming up, and it's barely been two weeks from your last job!"

“I can’t put these kinds of things off,” Stephen said back, walking over to William. “I’m sorry, Will…”

William's gaze dropped to the floor, and his brows furrowed. "So… you're just leaving again?"

Stephen frowned, taking William’s hands in his. “I’m really sorry…”

Hands hanging loosely in Stephen's, William bitterly muttered, "It's always going to be like this, isn't it? I just have to watch you take off, over and over again."

“William…” Stephen let out a sigh. “You can give my ticket to whoever you want. You don’t have to miss the fair because I won’t be there.”

At those words, William pulled his hands from Stephen's. He folded his arms over his chest, saying back, " _ Missing the fair _ ? That's not even the point!"

Stephen pulled his hands back, unsure of what to say. He was silent for a few moments. “...William, I’m sorry, but this is my job. I can’t just not go.”

William let out a heavy sigh, still looking away. "I just… don't understand. You can't even say that you like your job and you  _ choose _ to keep doing it."

“This is how I pay bills,” Stephen said back.

"We share some of those bills! How much extra money do you  _ need _ ?" William shot back. "It's not even just a normal job with inconvenient hours. It's an actively dangerous job. What if something happens? Am I just supposed to be okay with that..?"

“If I didn't have this job, I wouldn't  _ have _ money.” Stephen was starting to sound irritated. “Shit happens, yeah, but I  _ always _ come back. I’ve been doing this for decades.”

William hugged his arms tightly. "Even if something doesn't happen, I can't help but constantly think that something  _ could _ happen."

Stephen let out a huff. “What, do you want me to just quit my job? I’m not skilled in anything else. This is  _ all _ I can do. I can’t just drop it.”

"I don't know..! I just… I don't like that you always have to go…"

Stephen frowned, averting his eyes. “I’m sorry… But it’s not something I can control.”

William pressed his lips together, shutting his eyes as he felt them start to water. "...Fine."

Cooling down, Stephen stepped back. “I’m gonna start packing."

"Okay," William simply muttered back.

Stephen stepped out of the kitchen and went off to their bedroom, keeping his eyes down on the floor. When he left, William let out a shaky breath and sat himself down at the kitchen table. He rubbed his face and eyes, failing to really contain his frustration.

After a long while, Stephen walked back in to set his suitcase down on the floor next to the couch. He looked into the dining room, seeing William sitting quietly at the table.

“Will,” he spoke, his voice gentle. “I have another hour and a half before I have to leave. I don’t wanna leave with you upset like this…”

"It's hard not to be upset. I really want you to stay," William said. "I thought it would be easier if I got to spend more time with you when you were here. But I just notice when you're gone even more now."

“I know. I’m sorry,” Stephen said, walking over to the table. “But I promise I’ll come back… I  _ always  _ come back.”

William finally looked up. "You say that, but I just don't really see that until you  _ do  _ come back. And I am relieved when you do, but in-between… it's hard. I don't even know when you're supposed to be back."

Stephen rested a hand on William’s shoulder. “I know, I understand… I’m always a little nervous when one of my friends goes off on their own assignments. But I trust my coworkers. They’re skilled at what they do. Hell, most of them take two months to do what I can do in one.”

"...Okay," William eventually said. "I'll… try to think about that."

Stephen leaned down to leave a kiss on the top of William’s head. “I love you, Will. I promise I’ll be okay.”

William grabbed Stephen's hand, holding it tightly. "I love you, too. So really, please come back as soon as you can."

“I always do,” Stephen reassured. William just nodded, a little too tired to argue about it. 

Every time Stephen had to leave for work after that, it was just as hard. They didn't have many arguments about it, but it was something that hung over them. Stephen always apologized and tried to console William’s fears, but Stephen still wouldn't budge. He insisted on continuing his work.

Stephen was sitting in the living room, listening to records and drawing in a notebook when William entered. He was holding a pair of leather bracelets in his hand, the kind he often made for his work. He joined Stephen on the couch, drawing his attention. "Can we talk?"

Stephen put his notebook and pencil down on the coffee table, turning to face William. “What’s up?”

"I made something for us," William said, looking down at the bracelets. "Although I admit, it's also mostly for me."

Stephen stared at the bracelets for a moment, before reaching out to take one of them to get a closer look. “What do they do?”

William touched the bead being held in by the bracelet's leather straps. "Well… if you attune to it, the bead shows if you're okay or not," he said. "And if we trade the bracelets, then we'll always be able to see when the other person is okay."

Stephen looked up at William, smiling softly. “That’s a pretty clever idea on your part."

William glanced up at Stephen. "So, it's okay? You'll use it?"

“Of course,” Stephen answered, immediately slipping it onto his wrist. “How do I attune to it?”

"You just need to wear it for about a few days," William said, tying the other onto his own wrist. "And then the bead will fill with color."

Stephen looked at his bracelet closely, staring at the bead. “And it changes color when you’re not okay?”

"If that happens... it becomes clear again," William replied, thumbing the bracelet.

“I see…” Stephen touched the bead with his fingertips. “Will this make you feel better?” William nodded. Stephen looked at William with a small smile. “I’m glad.”

William managed a smile back. "Thank you. I know I worry a lot… I just like being more sure."

“No, thank you,” Stephen said back. “It’s nice… knowing someone cares enough about me to worry.”

"Of course I do," William replied softly. He wrapped his arm around Stephen's, twining their hands so the bracelets on their wrists hung near each other. "I'll always care about you."

Stephen looked at William with a loving gaze, giving his hand a small squeeze. “Thank you…”


	13. New Heights

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> William lifted himself up until he was high enough to settle into a slow, drifting glide. He spent a moment just absorbing the feeling of air passing over him, the wind streaming through his feathers. He didn't take this form often enough to be instantly used to the new weight of his frame or the arrangement of his limbs. But it didn't take long, either, and it helped to not be alone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> they just fly this chapter that's it

William and Stephen settled well into their relationship after two years. There had been times when they stumbled through hard situations, but also a lot of happy moments between them. But even as certain things eventually became routine and expected, they didn't tire of each other. They were content.

One of their favorite routine things they started doing together was going on flights. They liked to stretch their wings and take some time away from the rest of the world.

On a day that they were planning on going out for the evening, Stephen approached William while he was working on his charms. “Hey, Will,” he said, leaning against the doorway.

William was intently focused on the project in front of him, but he smiled at Stephen's voice. "Hi Stephen," he replied, finishing a quick portion of the charm. Once it was done, he set it down to give the other his attention. "Is it time to go already?"

“Nah, we don’t have to go for another couple hours,” Stephen said, before giving a smile. “I was just wondering if you wanna go flying for a bit before we go.”

"Oh! Well… alright," William agreed. He got up from his work desk, and grabbing a few things, said, "Let me just put all this back. Then I'm yours."

“Take your time,” Stephen said, stepping back from the doorway. “Just let me know when you’re ready.”

"It won't be long," William reassured him.

After about fifteen minutes, William met Stephen in the living room. They took a few minutes to make sure one of them had a key to the apartment and that they were ready to go, before they took Stephen’s bike to the hills where they could take off undetected.

The trip took a while to make. It wasn't very often that they did this. The first time Stephen had suggested it, William had even been reluctant. He had worried about accidentally drawing any unwanted attention, which would've soured the experience for him. But Stephen reassured him, so they went, and William hadn't since regretted those trips.

After parking the bike somewhere safe off the road and walking off to somewhere secluded, they got ready to take their flight.

“Wanna go in any particular direction?” Stephen asked.

"I just don't want to go too far, since we have plans later," William said with a shrug. He took off his glasses, tucking them away in a pocket. "Let's just see where the sky feels nicer."

“Sounds good to me,” Stephen said with a nod. He glanced around the open area they were in, making one last check before he transformed. William watched the first flames travel up Stephen's form with a warm smile. Then he summoned his own, changing and watching the tips of their slowly growing flames weave around each other. Once they were both standing on the ground much taller than they were before, stretching out their wings, it didn't take long for them to take to the skies.

William lifted himself up until he was high enough to settle into a slow, drifting glide. He spent a moment just absorbing the feeling of air passing over him, the wind streaming through his feathers. He didn't take this form often enough to be instantly used to the new weight of his frame or the arrangement of his limbs. But it didn't take long, either, and it helped to not be alone.

He looked for Stephen. Stephen was taking wide curves through the air, flying around where William glided at a much faster pace. Amused, William watched him until he passed closer, stretching one wing to brush Stephen's feather tips with his. Stephen looked over at William, a smile in his eyes, before banking his wing to circle around William again.

William chuckled to himself, lifting himself up once more to regain some height. " _ Showoff _ ," he projected, his fondness clear.

“ _ What? I like to go fast, _ ” Stephen said back as he flew up next to William.

" _ You make it look so easy _ ," William said, a bit enviously.

“ _ What can I say? I do a lot of flying. _ ” Stephen glanced back over at the other. “ _ It’s not a lot of strength to do it, you know. It’s mostly just control over your wings. _ ”

" _ Control over my wings? _ " William repeated. " _ I thought I did have good control of them…" _

“ _ You have good  _ enough _ control, _ ” Stephen chuckled. “ _ I can teach you some easy tricks if you want. _ ”

William thought about it. He was somewhat worried about looking silly while trying to learn any tricks. But, he didn't mind that so much with Stephen. " _ Could you? _ "

“For sure.”

Stephen took a moment to explain the ins and outs of a pretty easy trick: banking into a flip. He described what to do, before demonstrating it a few times. William tried to follow his instructions and demonstrations carefully. He felt close to doing it a few times, but it was frustrating to just barely mess it up. After maybe ten attempts, he lamented to Stephen, " _ Can't you just be my wings for me _ ?"

_ “I would if I could, Will _ ,” Stephen snickered.  _ “It takes practice. You’re a fast learner, so you’ll get it soon.” _

“ _ Alright, _ ” William relented, feeling encouraged by Stephen’s words.

He kept trying, and after a number of attempts he didn’t count, he felt himself finish the trick without any stumbles. He automatically steadied back into a glide, not even thinking about it, stunned by how easy it had felt.

_ “That was awesome, Will!” _ Stephen cheered, flying forward to glide next to the other.

“ _ Oh! Thank you,” _ William said back. Excitedly, he added, “ _ That wasn’t so bad… that was a lot of fun, actually.” _

_ “Try it again,” _ Stephen urged on. “ _ It’s, like, the most fun when you get really good at it.” _

_ “Okay!”  _ William agreed with a small laugh. And he did so, a few times actually. He felt so much less clumsy in his own body, and he didn’t want to lose out on that exhilarating sensation. The realization really hit him in that moment, something he didn’t even know he had been questioning. This really  _ was _ his body, phoenix or not -- it was another form of it, but it was  _ his _ .

It had taken him a long time, and it was something that he still needed to work on. But he was slowly and surely reclaiming his life for himself again.

The night air had a comfortable chill as they stepped out from the warmth of Hepcat’s onto the streets. Stephen had William’s hand in his, his other hand gripping the strap of his backpack tightly. They followed the stream of concertgoers leaving the venue until they reached the parking lot across the street, chatting along the way about the bands and how William liked it.

When they reached Stephen’s bike, Stephen pulled his helmet out of his backpack and held it out to William. William smiled and put it on.

“So,” Stephen started, zipping up his backpack. “I was thinking…”

"Thinking what?" William asked. "When you trail off like that, it sounds like it'll either be really good or really bad."

“I think it’s good,” Stephen chuckled. “I was thinking we could top this night off with a trip to the park. I don’t feel like going home yet.”

"Oh, that does sound good," William agreed, brightly smiling. "I do want to stay out just a bit longer. The night's been so fun."

Stephen smiled in return. “Awesome.” He got on his bike, letting William get on behind him, before starting them off.

Once onto the quieter neighborhood streets, Stephen drove slowly, seeming to savor the drive. William leaned into Stephen's warmth, closing his eyes and simply enjoying the ride.

They got to the park, and Stephen immediately made a beeline for the empty swing set. William followed at a bit more leisurely pace, inwardly smiling at the other's energy. Stephen got on one of the swings and kicked off into a slow, shallow swing.

“Isn’t it nice out here?” he said with a grin.

"It is," William chuckled. He sat down on the next swing over, letting it sway naturally. "The sky is beautiful, too," he said, looking up at the night.

Stephen looked up, too, taking in a slow breath and letting it out in a sigh. “Yeah… it is.”

After a while, William directed his gaze to Stephen. "Seeing the band was fun, but it's nice to be alone together like this, too."

“Yeah,” Stephen agreed, looking over at William with a smile. “I really cherish our time together.”

"I do, too," William said back. "You know, after saying that, I feel like we should have commemorated the moment with a toast, or something."

Stephen’s smile grew into a wide grin. “...I can do you one better.”

William gave Stephen a curious look. "Oh?"

Stephen dragged his foot on the ground to stop his swinging, tucking his hands into the pockets of his leather jacket. “You know… I really love you, you know that?”

"Well… of course I do," William replied. "We've been together so long, I couldn't really think otherwise."

Stephen slowly stood up from his swing, starting to look a little nervous. “And… you love me, too?”

William's expression softened. "I do. I love you very much, Stephen."

“Then…” Stephen took in a deep breath, pulling something out of his pocket. He stepped over to stand in front of William, before kneeling before him. He opened a small box in his hands. When William realized what Stephen was doing, he lifted his hands to his face and gasped. Stephen looked up at William, barely able to contain his cocktail of emotions. “William… will you marry me?”

William kept covering his mouth for a moment, just overwhelmed by a sudden surge of happiness, excitement, and shock. When he moved his hands, it was to rub at the edges of his eyes, which were tearing up. "Oh, Stephen… yes! Yes, of course I will..!" He cut himself off, hearing himself stammer. "Oh, wow, I… I can feel my heart racing…"

Stephen laughed in his surprise at William’s eager reaction, standing up to press a kiss to William’s lips. “I love you so much, Will,” he said, his voice cracking. “Thank you…” William didn't give him much chance to say anything else, getting up to pull him into another, deeper kiss.


End file.
